The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday commended 19 communities and 10 individuals for their efforts to promote recycling policies and environmental awareness at their work places.
Speaking at the award ceremony, EPA Chief Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said that the promotion of the quality of life relies on the promotion of environmental education.
"If everyone can do something good for the environment, their efforts would gradually affect others in their society," Hau said.
The EPA has held the award contest since 1992 to reward communities that promote environmental protection activities.
EPA officials said yesterday that the award-winning communities all boasted great achievements in promoting recycling policies.
A good example is that of Tzuhuei borough (慈惠里) in Sanchung City (三重市), Taipei County.
The borough's 800 families started recycling re-usable waste and discarded electric appliances in August of last year. By the end of August this year, the community had made NT$517,000 by selling 210 tonnes of re-usable waste.
They used the money to buy garbage trucks, hold campaign activities to promote environmental awareness -- and even donated some of it to victims of the 921 earthquake.
Tsai Ching-te (蔡清德), the warden of Tzuhuei borough, says that residents clean the community every two weeks and 56 volunteers regularly help residents with the clean-up.
Shiangchiou borough (香丘里) in Panchiao City (板橋市), Taipei County, won the special prize for promoting recycling policies.
Hsu Lien-ching (許連慶), the warden of Shiangchiou borough, said that 72 volunteers had helped residents to not only collect re-usable waste, but also to beautify the community.
The 10 individuals who received awards yesterday work for a variety of state-run and private companies or institutions, such as the Taiwan Salt Corp, Taiwan Power Co, Kaohsiung Medical University, China Motor Co (中華汽車) and the Yuen Foong Yu Paper Manufacturing Co (永豐餘).
President Chen Shui-bain (陳水扁) also met yesterday with representatives of the community winners and the 10 individual win-ners, to reward them for their contribution to environmental protection.
Chen has been criticized by environmentalists for his comments on environmental impact assessment (EIA) systems.
In August he inspected industrial complexes in Taoyuan and Hsinchu and said that EIA committees at the local level had hampered development due to an uncertain time frame for obtaining committee approval.
But Chen said yesterday that Taiwan would have to increase environmental protection efforts to work toward a condition of sustainable development.
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