The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) claimed yesterday that the government's recycling policy has achieved "satisfactory" results, with the recycling rate rising to 12.7 percent last year.
As of the end of last year, the Cabinet-level agency said the number of Taiwan's recycling trucks had exceeded 1,945, which was sufficient to support recycling collection in cities, townships and villages twice a week.
According to the EPA, 72.4 percent of public agencies responsible for recycling -- namely city, township and village governments -- have set up recycling facilities.
The EPA added that 46 percent of local governments have reached the goal of collecting recyclable garbage twice a week, while 54 percent have not fully attained this goal. Among them, 10 percent have yet to start recycling; 26 percent only collect recyclable waste once a week; and certain areas manage to collect three or even more times per week.
To explore public opinion about garbage recycling, the EPA also conducted an opinion poll last year in which it sent out 38,000-plus questionnaires, receiving more than 20,000 valid responses.
The survey results show that 94 percent of the respondents were willing to have their waste recycled and only 6 percent said either that they were unwilling or had no opinion on the issue.
Meanwhile, 61 percent said they support a proposal for legislation that would require citizens to separate their recyclable materials from trash and would allow for the imposition of fines on those who fail to do so. However, 29 percent gave a thumbs-down to the proposal and 10 percent did not express an opinion.
According to EPA officials, more than 1.05 million tonnes of garbage were recycled last year, marking an increase of nearly 200,000 tonnes from the previous year. The recycling rate also rose from 9.79 percent in 2000 to 12.7 percent last year, marking a 23.3 percent growth.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
There are 77 incidents of Taiwanese travelers going missing in China between January last year and last month, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said. More than 40 remain unreachable, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said on Friday. Most of the reachable people in the more than 30 other incidents were allegedly involved in fraud, while some had disappeared for personal reasons, Luo said. One of these people is Kuo Yu-hsuan (郭宇軒), a 22-year-old Taiwanese man from Kaohsiung who went missing while visiting China in August. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office last month said in a news statement that he was under investigation
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
An aviation jacket patch showing a Formosan black bear punching Winnie the Pooh has become popular overseas, including at an aviation festival held by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force at the Ashiya Airbase yesterday. The patch was designed last year by Taiwanese designer Hsu Fu-yu (徐福佑), who said that it was inspired by Taiwan’s countermeasures against frequent Chinese military aircraft incursions. The badge shows a Formosan black bear holding a Republic of China flag as it punches Winnie the Pooh — a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) — who is dressed in red and is holding a honey pot with
RSS