Although the country has done a good job recycling Polyethylene-terephthalate (PET), with government statistics showing a 100 percent rate of recycling use, PET remains non-degradable, a local environmental protection activist said yesterday.
The most efficient way to protect the environment would be to stop using PET bottles altogether, said Chou Chun-ti (周春娣), chairwoman of the Conservation Mothers Foundation in Kaohsiung.
Chou said it was a mistake to describe PET bottles as one of the most environmentally friendly containers just because they are 100 percent recyclable.
Although PET is fully recyclable and can be used to manufacture new products such as cosmetics, high-quality carpets, plastic wrap, car parts, hypo-allergic pillow fillings and fabrics, the recycling process is energy intensive, Chou said.
Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) date showed that the volume of recycled PET was 80,000 tonnes in 2004, 81,000 tonnes in 2005, 91,000 tonnes in 2006 and 97,000 tonnes last year.
As a 600cc PET bottle is made of only 20g of PET, the 6,000 tonnes of additional PET recycled during the one-year period between 2006 and last year means that Taiwanese consumed 300 million more PET bottles during that year.
Lin Chien-huei (林建輝), an EPA Recycling Fund Management Board official, said that the more bottles were recycled, the more were being used, which was taking us further away from the spirit of garbage reduction.
Although PET bottles have been the cause of environmental disasters, they hide behind a smokescreen of environmental protection, Chou said, saying that few people hesitate to buy soft drinks in PET bottles because they know they are recyclable.
Although the EPA has done a great job in recycling, it is nevertheless wrong for the administration to not try to discourage people from using PET bottles, Chou said.
Only when the volume of recycled PET bottles is reduced to 40,000 tonnes or 30,000 tonnes a year while the recycling rate remains at 100 percent will there be “true protection of the environment,” Chou said.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
Tropical Storm Podul has formed over waters north-northeast of Guam and is expected to approach the seas southeast of Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The 11th Pacific storm of the year developed at 2am over waters about 2,660km east of Oluanpi (歐鑾鼻), Pingtung County — Taiwan's southernmost tip. It is projected to move westward and could have its most significant impact on Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday next week, the CWA said. The agency did not rule out the possibility of issuing a sea warning at that time. According to the CWA's latest update, Podul is drifting west-northwest
RSS