The unsung heroes of garbage disposal

Every week, garbage collectors go from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, collecting waste and rubbish in what is arguably one of the dirtiest jobs around.

It's not a desirable task, and Mohd Rizal Ahmad is one of the few who do it, starting work as early as 3am along with three other colleagues from Bangladesh.

Rizal drives the garbage truck around a housing area in Bukit Bandaraya, Shah Alam, while his colleagues collect the bags of rubbish and throw them into the back.

They work together as a team, ensuring that the garbage is taken care of in a seamless process.

Two of them collect more garbage while the third hoists yet another bag into the back of the lorry.

They do their best to stay clean, wearing rubber gloves while they are on the job.

At mid-morning, they stop by a roadside stall to buy some kuih and drinks for breakfast before continuing their trip to the landfill where garbage is disposed of.

At Jeram in Klang, they join the line of garbage trucks making their way to the landfill.

There, acres of garbage stretch as far as the eye can see.

All of the garbage is disposed of at designated spots.

Workers operating heavy machinery and tractors stand by to carry the soil needed for the disposal process.

Each day, some 3,480 tonnes of rubbish from housing areas in Klang, Shah Alam, Puncak Alam and Petaling Jaya end up in this waste disposal centre.

At about noon, the workers complete their work at the centre and return to their individual depots.

Once they arrive, every lorry is hosed down and cleaned.

Hostels such as this are the only home that the foreign workers have.

Some of them keep live chickens which they buy from the market and rear for cooking.

Done with their job for the day, the workers head to the washing area for a bath themselves.

Others go back to their hostel to take care of other daily activities.

Some of them slaughter a chicken to be cooked for their evening meal.

The chicken is cleaned and plucked before being taken to the kitchen to be cooked.

A worker sits on the floor, peeling garlic and onions to be used in cooking the meal.

The entire process is a group effort, with others washing the chicken parts in addition to the utensils needed for cooking.

Each worker has his own cooking space at the hostel.

In the evening, after the meal is over, they return to their beds to rest. Some call their families back home while others watch movies on their phones. Work will begin again at 3am the next day.