In line with Hsinchu City government’s goal to become a “smart” city, since July the city’s Bureau of Environmental Protection has provided 24-hour unmanned recycling stations for public use. The bureau has installed a total of 11 machines at seven recycling stations and, in the short space of three months, the machines have recycled over 30,000 bottles and cans. The recycling centers have been used by 4,200 people to process 25,000kg of recyclable waste, mainly consisting of plastic bottles, steel and aluminum cans and glass bottles. Users are able to collect reward points while recycling household waste at a time of their choosing. The process of dropping bottles and cans into the machine makes a satisfying “clunk,” turning a mundane chore into an enjoyable experience.
According to the bureau, users interact with the recycling machines through several mobile phone apps that allow them to collect reward points: an example of the “circular economy” in action. The bureau plans to operate the machines until Aug. 31 next year. Every month there are special public holiday-themed campaigns that allow users to redeem physical items in exchange for depositing recycled waste. On Singles’ Day, celebrated on Nov. 11, the bureau held a campaign in which users could exchange recycled items for environmentally friendly reusable shopping bags. The campaign, entitled “1111 bachelor take me away,” was a pun on the word “take,” a homonym for “bag” in Chinese. This particular campaign runs through to the end of this month.
There are two types of recycling machine: one takes plastic bottles and steel and aluminum cans, while the other type only takes glass bottles. Reward points can be exchanged for gifts such as glassware, gift coupons, food at local eateries and also “virtual points.” More information can be found at the Facebook page: @seedu.city (https://www.facebook.com/seedu.city/).
Photo: Hung Mei-hsiu, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者洪美秀
(Translated by Edward Jones, Taipei Times)
新竹市號稱智慧城市,環保局今年七月起啟用廿四小時自動辨識「無人回收站」,共設置七站十一座回收機台,短短三個月,已回收瓶罐超過卅萬支,以寶特瓶、鐵罐、鋁罐、廢玻璃瓶四大資源物為主,重量達兩萬五千公斤,有四千兩百人響應,享受隨時集點、即刻回收方便性,尤其「咻」的回收聲,讓資源回收工作充滿療癒感與樂趣。
新竹市環保局設置的無人回收站透過應用軟體組隊,讓前來回收的市民可創造更多點數,成為循環經濟的典範。無人回收站預計營運到明年八月卅一日;每個月都配合節日推出各種實體兌換活動,像十一月配合光棍節,舉辦「1111光棍袋我走」,有環保袋兌換活動,鼓勵消費者自備環保購物袋,活動到卅日。
Photo: Tsai Chang-sheng, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者蔡彰盛
回收機台分兩款,一款專收寶特瓶、鐵罐與鋁罐,另一款僅回收玻璃瓶。集點換好禮有玻璃精品、禮券、在地美味、 「虛擬點數」等好康;可洽臉書「Seed U 讓回收成為一場遊戲」(https://www.facebook.com/seedu.city/)。
(自由時報記者洪美秀)
Photo: Hung Mei-hsiu, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者洪美秀
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