Thanks to advanced technology and a little creativity, waste treatment facilities -- and their by-products -- ?are shedding their smelly image, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said yesterday.
Instead of going down the drain and increasing water treatment costs, kitchen waste can be processed into pig feed or fertilizer and sold to businesses, killing two birds with one stone, said Lin Mao-yuan (
"Last year alone, the EPA collected 663,000 tonnes of kitchen waste, or 1,800 tonnes a day, saving the nation from building the equivalent of two 900-tonne incinerators while creating a NT$2,400 million [US$78 million] economic gain," Lin said.
In light of the success of the waste project, the administration is planning to eventually mandate the collection of kitchen waste, Lin said.
"Twenty to 30 percent of all domestic waste is kitchen waste -- which translates to 5,400 tonnes a day throughout Taiwan," he said. "If we could increase the 1,800 tonne daily amount to 2,200 tonnes by 2012, the economic value created from them would be even grander."
In Taichung County, kitchen waste fertilizers have become very popular, especially after fertilizers transformed Hsinshe Township (
Other agricultural successes included rose apples in Pingtung County and custard apples in Taitung County, he said.
"If you consider how much pork one could raise with pig feed from kitchen waste, Taiwanese should make more of an effort to increase the percentage of it we separate from our regular trash," he said.
But pig feed from kitchen waste and fertilizers are by no means the only modern waste treatment of benefit, the EPA said.
In Tainan, a large water park -- including 12 attractions such as giant slides and a wave machine -- is set to open on May 4th inside the boundary of its eco-friendly incinerator facility.
"We should get rid of the idea that incinerators are dirty and polluting," Tainan City Environmental Protection Bureau Director-General Chang Hwang-jen (張皇珍) told reporters at a press conference.
"We've built the nation's biggest water park right inside the facility to demonstrate that no black smoke comes out of the incinerator chimney," she said.
"The park will be free to all Chenghsi Borough [城西] residents as a reimbursement for hosting the incinerator in their neighborhood," she said.
It is "possibly the biggest recreational water park in the nation," she said.
The park is hosting a naming competition open to all primary and middle school students around the nation, with the winner receiving a NT$30,000 scholarship and other prizes worth NT$20,000, she said.
Interested students can apply online at www.tnepb.gov.tw from now through Monday.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
RSS