Waste management in Taiwan refers to the management and disposal of waste in Taiwan. It is regulated by the Department of Waste Management of the Ministry of Environment of the Executive Yuan.
Waste management in Taiwan refers to the management and disposal of waste in Taiwan. It is regulated by the Department of Waste Management of the Ministry of Environment of the Executive Yuan.
Waste management was not centrally regulated during the early years of Meiji era Japan. [1] In 1900, enacted the Sewage Disposal Law, [2] the Waste Cleaning Act, [1] and the Dirt Removal Law. [3] The legislation was aimed at improving sanitation in Japanese cities [3] and made waste disposal a municipal responsibility. [3] [1] [2] At the time, Taiwan was a territory of Japan.
Under the Republic of China, Taiwan began to industrialize by the 1950s and 1960s. [4] In the following decades, industrialization occurred more rapidly, leading to a higher waste output. [4] [5] Taiwan then became known as the Garbage Island. [6] [7] To combat increased levels of waste, a recycling program began in 1989, following a 1987 amendment to the Waste Disposal Act. Recycling in Taiwan started as a private effort, but the initiative soon became overrun with fraud and other scandals due to ineffective government regulation. The private organizations and industries in charge of the program were free to falsely report recycling rates.The government established the 3R Foundation (reduce, reuse, recycle) in 1994 to discourage instances of fraud and other scandals. [8] [9]
Recyclables were reclassified into eight groups: containers, tires, pesticide containers, lubricant oil, lead-acid batteries, vehicles, home appliances, and communication products. Each of these materials were the responsibility of one commission, and the commissions themselves were overseen by the Environmental Protection Administration. [8] [9] Taiwan's limited space to build trash incinerators and landfills were recognized as a problem, [4] [10] but from the 1980s and as late as 1996, waste was freely placed in the streets for collection. [11] [12] At the time, Taiwan had five incinerators in operation; at full capacity, only 10% of annual combustible waste was disposed of via incineration. Other methods of garbage disposal placed a large amount of stress on existing landfills. [11] The eight separate committees initially established by recyclable material were eventually merged into the Resource Recycling Fund Management Committee. General oversight of the recycling program has been placed under the purview of the Resource Recycling Fund Management Committee, but a separate committee handles the establishment of recycling fees, and another committee is called on to periodically audit the recycling program itself. [8] [9]
People are responsible for bringing their own trash to the collection point. [13] [14] In some areas such as Taipei City, nonrecyclables must be collected in colour-coded bags that can be bought at convenience stores. [6] [7] [15] Raw food waste is processed to be further used as fertilizer by farmers. [16] Cooked food waste is processed to be further turned into food for livestock. [6] [17] Not all recyclables are collected daily; the most common recyclables have a specially designated pickup day. [18] There are 33 items considered recyclable, which in turn fall into 13 categories. [19]
Garbage collection trucks are known to play music to alert people of their presence at collection points. Songs played include Tekla Bądarzewska-Baranowska's "Maiden's Prayer" and Ludwig van Beethoven's "Für Elise." [14] [20] [21] Starting in 2003, recycling trucks played Hou Dejian's composition, "Any Empty Wine Bottles for Sale?" as first recorded by Su Rui for the 1983 film Papa, Can You Hear Me Sing . [22] Christmas music is played during Christmas, and at Chinese New Year, recordings of Chinese traditional tunes play. [23] Local governments have occasionally changed the garbage collection song. [24] [25] Other prerecorded tracks played on the trucks include short English-language lessons. [20] [26]
In 2016, 76.8% of fly ash from coal-fired power plants in Taiwan were reused in the construction areas, totaling to 1.703 million tons. Any remaining industrial waste from power generation industries, such as wire, cables and scrap were reused by waste disposal contractors through open bidding process. In 2016, there was 4,950 tons of such waste sold, which generated a revenue of NT$533 million. [27]
Incomplete list of incinerators in Taiwan. Please expand this list and correct it, if necessary.
| Facility | City | Capacity | Electric Power Output | Height of smokestack | Year of inauguration | Coordinates | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beitou | Taipei | 1800 tons/d | 48 MW | 150 m | 1999 | 25.1080104439 N 121.49946548 E | chimney with observation deck and restaurant | |
| Neihu | Taipei | 900 tons/d | 144 MW | 73 m | 1991 | 25.06314835 N 121.605538 E | ||
| Muzha | Taipei | 1200 tons/d | 13.5 MW | 147 m | 1994 | 25.00501321 N 121.5876559 E | ||
| Bali | New Taipei City | 1350 tons/d | 35.7 MW | 150.5 m | 2001 | 25.134266 N 121.367760 E | ||
| Shulin | New Taipei City | 450 tons/d | 22.3 MW | 118 m | 1995 | 24.967268 N 121.380041 E | ||
| Taichung | Taichung | 900 tons/d | 26.2 MW | 120 m | 1995 | 24.152714 N 120.598019 E | ||
| Chengxi | Tainan | 900 tons/d | 14.3 MW | 124 m | 1999 | 23.0455158597 N 120.07444869 E | ||
| Renwu | Kaohsiung | 1350 tons/d | 150 MW | 118.8 m | 2000 | 22.699823 N 120.368902 E | ||
| Keelung | Keelung | 600 tons/d | 15.8 MW | 100 m | 2005 | 25.122733 N 121.775569 E | ||
| Kanting | Pingtung City | 900 tons/d | 22.5 MW | 100 m | 2000 | 22.4997393 N 120.49855 E | ||
| His-Chou | Changhua City | 900 tons/d | 22.6 MW | 118.3 m | 2000 | 23.8264892 N 120.4603268 E | ||
| Chiayi | Chiayi City | 300 tons/d | 2.4 MW | 68 m | 1998 | 23.444114 N 120.44146 E | ||
| Hsinchu City | Hsinchu City | 900 tons/d | 23.7 MW | 67 m | 2000 | 24.834300 N 120.916464 E | ||
| Lutsao | Lucao, Chiayi | 900 tons/d | 120 m | 2001 | 23.449194 N 120.280361 E | |||
| Miaoli | Zhunan | 500 tons/d | 11.8 MW | 70 m | 24.673268 N 120.835812 E | |||
| Gangshan | Kaohsiung | 1350 tons/d | 38 MW | 60 m | 2001 | 22.810874 N 120.270397 E | ||
| Xindian | New Taipei City | 900 tons/d | 14.6 MW | 120 m | 1994 | 24.958135 N 121.49713 E | ||
| Yongkang | Tainan | 900 tons/d | 22.5 MW | 100 m | 2008 | 23.039436 N 120.282977 E | ||
| Taitung | Taitung | 300 tons/d | 2005 | 22.731026 N 121.13579 E | ||||
| Kaohsiung | Kaohsiung | 900 tons/d | 25.5 MW | 100 m | 1999 | 22.664982 N 120.331439 E | ||
| Kaohsiung South | Kaohsiung | 1800 tons/d | 49 MW | 87.6 m | 2000 | 22.549339 N 120.377224 E | ||
| Houli | Houli District | 900 tons/d | 26.2 MW | 120 m | 2000 | 24.287653 N 120.697330 E | ||
| Taoyuan | Taoyuan | 1350 tons/d | 35.1 MW | 80 m | 2001 | 24.992175 N 121.249752 E | ||
| Wujih | Taichung | 900 tons/d | 100 m | 2004 | 24.096227 N 120.619615 E | |||
| Lizer | Luodom | 600 tons/d | 14.7 MW | 120 m | 2005 | 24.661161 N 121.835675 E | ||
| Yunlin | Linnei | 300 tons/d | 2005 | 23.7709175 N 120.609016 E ? |
Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of waste, together with monitoring and regulation of the waste management process and waste-related laws, technologies, and economic mechanisms.
A waste collector, also known as a garbage man, garbage collector, trashman, binman or dustman, is a person employed by a public or private enterprise to collect and dispose of municipal solid waste (refuse) and recyclables from residential, commercial, industrial or other collection sites for further processing and waste disposal. Specialised waste collection vehicles featuring an array of automated functions are often deployed to assist waste collectors in reducing collection and transport time and for protection from exposure. Waste and recycling pickup work is physically demanding and usually exposes workers to an occupational hazard.
Pay as you throw (PAYT) is a usage-pricing model for disposing of municipal solid waste. Users are charged a rate based on how much waste they present for collection to the municipality or local authority.
A waste container, also known as a dustbin, rubbish bin, trash can, and garbage can, among other names, is a type of container intended to store waste that is usually made out of metal or plastic. The words "rubbish", "basket" and "bin" are more common in British English usage; "trash" and "can" are more common in American English usage. "Garbage" may refer to food waste specifically or to municipal solid waste in general.
Waste Management, Inc., doing business as WM, is a waste management, comprehensive waste, and environmental services company operating in North America. Founded in 1968, the company is headquartered in the Bank of America Tower in Houston, Texas.
There is no national law in the United States that mandates recycling. State and local governments often introduce their own recycling requirements. In 2014, the recycling/composting rate for municipal solid waste in the U.S. was 34.6%. A number of U.S. states, including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Vermont have passed laws that establish deposits or refund values on beverage containers while other jurisdictions rely on recycling goals or landfill bans of recyclable materials.
Recycling in Japan, an aspect of waste management in Japan, is based on the Japanese Container and Packaging Recycling Law. Plastic, paper, PET bottles, aluminium and glass are collected and recycled. Japan’s country profile in Waste Atlas shows that in 2012 Recycling Rate was 20.8%.
Waste management in Japan today emphasizes not just the efficient and sanitary collection of waste, but also reduction in waste produced and recycling of waste when possible. This has been influenced by its history, particularly periods of significant economic expansion, as well as its geography as a mountainous country with limited space for landfills. Important forms of waste disposal include incineration, recycling and, to a smaller extent, landfills and land reclamation. Although Japan has made progress since the 1990s in reducing waste produced and encouraging recycling, there is still further progress to be made in reducing reliance on incinerators and the garbage sent to landfills. Challenges also exist in the processing of electronic waste and debris left after natural disasters.
Waste are unwanted or unusable materials. Waste is any substance discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no use. A by-product, by contrast is a joint product of relatively minor economic value. A waste product may become a by-product, joint product or resource through an invention that raises a waste product's value above zero.
The "Naples waste management crisis" is a series of events surrounding the lack of waste collection and illegal toxic waste dumping in and around the Province of Naples, Campania, Italy, beginning in the 1980s. In 1994, Campania formally declared a state of emergency, ending in 2008, however, the crisis has had negative effects on the environment and on human health, specifically in an area that became known as the triangle of death. Due to the burning of accumulated toxic wastes in overfilled landfills and the streets, Naples's surrounding areas became known as the "Land of pyres". The crisis is largely attributed to government failure to efficiently waste manage, as well as the illegal waste disposal by the Camorra criminal organization.
Solid waste policy in the United States is aimed at developing and implementing proper mechanisms to effectively manage solid waste. For solid waste policy to be effective, inputs should come from stakeholders, including citizens, businesses, community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, government agencies, universities, and other research organizations. These inputs form the basis of policy frameworks that influence solid waste management decisions. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates household, industrial, manufacturing, and commercial solid and hazardous wastes under the 1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Effective solid waste management is a cooperative effort involving federal, state, regional, and local entities. Thus, the RCRA's Solid Waste program section D encourages the environmental departments of each state to develop comprehensive plans to manage nonhazardous industrial and municipal solid waste.
The Essex County Resource Recovery Facility, also known as Covanta Essex, is a waste-to-energy incineration power station in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. Opened in 1990, it is owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and operated by Covanta Energy. It is located adjacent to the New Jersey Turnpike between Raymond Boulevard and the Passaic River in Newark.
In Hong Kong, domestic waste has always been the largest portion of municipal solid waste. In 2014, domestic waste constitutes 65% of municipal solid waste, and 43% of total solid waste at landfills. Hong Kong has the highest daily domestic waste generation rates per capita compared to other metropolitans in Asia: Metro Tokyo creates 0.77 kg per day per capita, Seoul generates 0.95 kg, Taipei City produces 1.00 kg and Hong Kong tops the rank by 1.36 kg.
In Taiwan, 2% of its municipal solid waste is disposed of by landfill. As of 2013, there are a total of 404 landfills in Taiwan. Public landfills in Taiwan can be divided into sanitary landfill and basic landfill. The former has detailed regulations specifying it to prevent secondary pollution while the latter has none.
Taiwan has one of the most efficient recycling programs globally, with a 55% collection rate from households and businesses and a 77% collection rate from industrial waste in 2019. Taiwan’s high recycling rates are unattainable in most countries due to Taiwanese geographical advantages along with efficient waste processing technologies and systems.
China's waste import ban, instated at the end of 2017, prevented foreign inflows of waste products. Starting in early 2018, the government of China, under Operation National Sword, banned the import of several types of waste, including plastics with a contamination level of above 0.05 percent. The ban has greatly affected recycling industries worldwide, as China had been the world's largest importer of waste plastics and processed hard-to-recycle plastics for other countries, especially in the West.
Waste management in South Korea involves waste generation reduction and ensuring maximum recycling of the waste. This includes the appropriate treatment, transport, and disposal of the collected waste. South Korea's Waste Management Law was established in 1986, replacing the Environmental Protection Law (1963) and the Filth and Cleaning Law (1973). This new law aimed to reduce general waste under the waste hierarchy in South Korea. This Waste Management Law imposed a volume-based waste fee system, effective for waste produced by both household and industrial activities.
Waste management in Australia started to be implemented as a modern system by the second half of the 19th century, with its progresses driven by technological and sanitary advances. It is currently regulated at both federal and state level. The Commonwealth's Department of the Environment and Energy is responsible for the national legislative framework.
New York City's waste management system is a refuse removal system primarily run by the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY). The department maintains the waste collection infrastructure and hires public and private contractors who remove the city's waste. For the city's population of more than eight million, The DSNY collects approximately eleven thousand tons a day of garbage, including compostable material and recycling.
The "garbage doesn't touch the ground" policy requires residents to bring trash directly out of their homes to the trucks, resulting in more hygienic streets in Taiwan's sweaty climate. Compulsory, government-issued bin bags – priced at less than 1p per litre – have reduced Taipei's household refuse by two-thirds, the director of the city's environmental protection bureau says...The songs are a key pillar of the system. How they were chosen is subject to a bit of folklore. On a recent Taiwan-focused podcast, Formosa Files, the cohost John Ross said the songs were preloaded on to trucks bought from Japan in the 1960s, and that later attempts to add other songs – including sea shanties and English lessons – were too confusing. Liou, however, says the trucks were bought from Germany and only played Für Elise. He can't explain where A Maiden's Prayer came from. The rumour inside the department is that a former director heard his daughter play it and added it to the playlist.
