On the outskirts of Beijing lies Dong Xiao Kou village. Once a small farming community, the village is now little more than an enormous rubbish tip.

Getty Images photojournalist Kevin Frayer visited the village to record the daily lives of the people who live and work there.

China recycling
A woman sorts plastic items into crates Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
China recycling
Plastic mannequin heads and other items lie on the ground in Dong Xiao Kou village Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
China recycling
Chickens walk around Dong Xiao Kou village as labourers load cardboard onto a truck to be recycled Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
China recycling
A man adds more plastic bottles to a huge pile that needs to be sorted Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Residents make their living by collecting and recycling waste – from paper and plastics to electrical and electronic waste such as old fridges, TV sets and computers.

The waste is collected from homes and businesses in the capital and then manually sorted by hundreds of workers and their families in the village.

China recycling
A man wheels collected goods through Dong Xiao Kou village Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
China recycling
Labourers sort old televisions and computer monitors Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
China recycling
Sparks fly as man takes apart scrap metal items Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
China recycling
Men sort paper to be recycled in Dong Xiao Kou village Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

The number of people involved in the process is unknown, as most are unlicensed migrant workers from surrounding provinces.

Labourers have to deal with poor infrastructure and sanitation facilities, in addition to dangers associated with handling e-waste.

China recycling
A man stands on a truck loaded with appliances to be recycled Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
China recycling
Workers sort mixed plastics into crates Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
China recycling
Discarded computer and electronics parts wait to be recycled Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
China recycling
A man waits to have his collected goods weighed before they are sold Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

The village is now facing demolition to make way for an ambitious urbanisation plan, and residents are worried about losing their homes and work.

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