The foreign workers who keep our streets and estates clean — heck, build and maintain them too — are mostly overlooked.

But a Channel NewsAsia (CNA) video uploaded on Dec. 23 brought out a deluge of comments from locals expressing their gratitude to the foreigners who take on these jobs and carry out the back-breaking work.

The video features a Channel NewsAsia reporter taking on the job of a rubbish chute waste collector, assisting a regular named Zuwel, who is hired on contract by the Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council, and who usually does the work alone:

According to the video and an accompanying article, Zuwel clears 29 blocks of trash in Bukit Panjang every day. Each block has, on average, six chutes.

He works 7am to 7pm each day and earns just S$700 a month, clearing the filth, grime and tremendous amount of waste we thoughtlessly stuff down the chute.

But it was not only the stark reality depicted in the video that caught the attention of Singaporeans; it was also this comment on it from a Bangladeshi:

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Besides the 1,000-odd positive reactions to Anapana's comment, many Singaporeans have also replied to him to thank him for his contributions through his work:

And there are hundreds more just like the ones above.

Now here's one way you can concretely help to make Zuwel's, Anapana's, and the work of everyone else who takes on jobs we don't want quicker and less painful: tie up your bag securely before sending it down the chute.

Top photo screenshot from CNA video.