Many Taipei drivers may have noticed that the asphalt surface on Zhishan Road in Shilin District (士林) glitters when reflecting the light, but few may know that the sparkle comes from recycled glass particles, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said yesterday.
“Glass is a material that can be reused almost 100 percent, since it contains few impurities,” director of the EPA’s Recycling Fund Management Board, Lin Chien-huei (林建輝), said.
Besides being blended into asphalt, recycled glass particles can also be mixed into bricks and tiles to make lightweight, but strong, building materials, Lin said. It can also be made into decorative mosaic tiles or glass beads.
“In the past year, because prices for raw materials have been on the rise, recycled glass particles are becoming more and more sought after,” Lin said.
Bottles made of recycled glass can be sold for NT$7 each, more than double the price of just a year ago, he said.
In addition to the economical value of the recycled glass, reusing glass also means less carbon emissions, he said.
“A recycled beer bottle saves 0.8 units of electricity, enough to light a 100-watt light bulb for four hours,” Lin said.
Last year, 190,000 tonnes of glass, mostly old lighting fixtures, was collected by recyclers for reuse.
“This saved about 18,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide and enough energy to provide electricity for 950,000 families for an entire month,” he said.
Though the nation’s glass recycling rate is at an impressive 84 percent, Lin said there was still room for improvement.
“Many farmers have complained to us that beer or energy drink bottles are often thrown into their crop fields, which is not only a waste of resources, but is also dangerous as glass shards often cut their hands or legs,” Lin said.
In addition to throwing glass bottles into rice paddies or other public areas, some consumers fail to take their waste glass to recycling stations because they are either not aware of the importance of recycling or do not know where the recycling outlets are, he said.
“Many local garbage trucks collect glass separately and people are encouraged to dispose of their glass there — if not, most supermarkets or convenience stores offer recycling services,” Lin said.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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