Recyclable garbage piling high

Deputy Taipei City Mayor Ou Chin-der (歐晉德) yesterday dismissed allegations that the city's recycling policy was in trouble, explaining that large backlogs of recyclables at recycling centers were the result of the centers having just come on-line.

He also denied allegations from KMT City Councilor Chen Li-hui (陳孋輝) that the city had been "fooling" the public by asking them to make an effort to separate recyclable items, but then mixing them all up again at the recycling center.

Chen said a backlog of apparently mixed recyclables stacked up at the recycling center located at the Shanchuku (山豬窟) landfill in Nankang was proof of his allegation. Chen demanded that the city government complete the separation of the recyclables within a month.

She also proposed building a cover for the heap, as well as installing a fire safety system to prevent the possibility of fire.

The real situation was entirely different from the picture painted by Chen, Ou said yesterday while taking an early morning trip to the site.

"Because the facility didn't begin operations until about a week ago, it takes time to process the recyclables," he said.

While the original daily processing capacity of the facility is set at 100 tonnes, the current daily capacity is about 30 tonnes. In other words, it may take at least two months to absorb the entire amount.

The so-called "mixed" heap is in the "fifth category" of recyclables, which include cans, jars, tires, plastic, iron, batteries, glass, electronic devices and light bulbs.

The other four categories of recyclables are cloth and rags, paper, clean plastic bags and styrofoam.

According to Hong Cheng-chung (洪正中), deputy director of the city's Bureau of Environmental Protection (環保局), recyclables falling into the "fifth category" account for one third of the total recyclables collected between July 1 and Aug. 15.

Because the city's first recycling center at the Futekeng (福德坑) landfill in Mucha cannot handle the fourfold increase in the recycling volume generated by the city's new garbage policy, the "fifth category" of recyclables goes to the city's second processing center at Shanchuku.

But while the 70-tonne capacity recycling center at Futekeng began operations in 1994, the one at Shanchuku did not start operations until last Monday after the contractor, Taiwan Pyrolysis & Energy Regeneration Corp (TPERC,台灣百樂綠環保科技), won the contract on July 6.

The backlog is, therefore, partly a result of the center's late opening and partly because the center is not yet working at full capacity.

The construction of a third recycling center at Tawantuan (大彎段), Neihu, is well under way and is expected to be completed in December, becoming operational next January. Its daily processing capacity is set at 100 tonnes.