The International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) held a Workshop on Urban Waste Management and hosted 20 attendants from 19 nations from May 17 to 30, 2018. Participants were introduced to the overall policies of Taiwan’s waste management system and enterprises involved in the recycling industry. Apart from the lectures, the workshop included a coastal clean-up event to highlight the importance of ecological protection and waste treatment, which was organized by the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology located in Keelung City.

For the event, the museum specialist led the participants to the clean-up area nearby after they suited up with proper equipment. Seeing all the plastic bottles, bags, containers, glass bottles, straws and styrofoam on the beach made them realize that reducing plastic use is tremendously crucial in terms of ecological protection, and how waste has become a worldwide threat. The participants were happy to contribute their time and do their part in protecting the natural environment. This opportunity became a memorable experience for them in Taiwan and many expressed their intentions to implement initiatives in environmental sustainability in their home countries.

Taiwan highly values waste treatment as it is a small island that is densely populated. There have been many achievements in environmental protection over the years thanks to the government’s comprehensive policies on this issue. By putting in place an effective recycling system, the citizens are able to reduce waste to 0.4 kg per day, which is lower than the worldwide average of 1.2 kg. In addition, several landfills have been transformed into parks or recreation centers; the recycling rate of industrial waste is as high as 80 percent; and the number of enterprises investing in the industry has rapidly grown from around 100 to more than 2,000 companies in a decade. The national recycling rate is surprisingly as high as 55 percent. All these accomplishments emphasize Taiwan’s leading role in environmental protection, which can serve as a model for other countries.

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• Update: 2018/11/02
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