The public is encouraged to recycle used batteries, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said yesterday, ahead of the Lantern Festival next week, which is expected to generate nearly 4 tonnes of batteries used to power handheld lanterns.
The agency estimated that a total of 1.26 million button-cell-powered lanterns would be given out by local governments this year to celebrate the festival, which would produce 3.79 tonnes of waste batteries as each lantern uses three 1g button cells.
Batteries contain heavy metals such as mercury, lead and cadmium, and throwing away used batteries could cause environmental and health hazards, the EPA said.
“Toxic metals can leak from improperly disposed batteries and enter the food chain and human body, causing neurological symptoms, reproductive impairment, and liver and kidney diseases. The EPA urges the public to do garbage sorting and make sure that batteries are properly recycled,” EPA Resource Recycling Fund Management Committee staffer Chao Kuo-feng (趙國芬) said.
The nation uses about 9,300 tonnes of batteries every year and had a recycle rate of about 47 percent last year, which meets the EU’s 45 percent waste battery recycling goal, Chao said.
Taiwan has an 80 percent reuse rate of waste batteries, from which manganese powder, iron and zinc are retrieved, she said.
“Batteries have rather low recycling rates because they are small and often discarded as trash, or they have special design specifications, such as machine batteries and laptop batteries, some of which are not easy to remove, so they are usually disposed of along with the appliances they power,” she said, adding that the agency had instructed local governments to design easily detachable battery holders for giveaway lanterns.
The agency also encouraged people to remove used batteries from larger appliances for use in low-power consumption appliances, such as alarm clocks, remote controls and calculators, to drain residual power before recycling them.
Used batteries can be dropped off at convenience stores, cosmetic shops and electronics outlets. Some convenience stores provide incentives for battery recycling, such as an NT$8 shopping discount at 7-Eleven, or a tea egg or a yogurt drink at FamilyMart in exchange for a bag of batteries weighing 500g, she said.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS