The Amount of Trash America Produces is Staggering. So Why Don't We Copy Taiwan? - http://magazine.good.is/article...
Dec 18, 2014
from
Ken Morley,
Steven Perez,
Andrew C (✔),
Stephen Mack,
WoH: Professor MOTHRA,
Shevonne,
Laura Norvig,
Jenny H.,
Steve C, Team Marina,
Jennifer Dittrich,
obe,
Spidra Webster,
Tamara J. B.,
and
team everyone
liked this
"When it’s garbage day in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, you won’t see abandoned trash bags on the streets waiting for pickup, as you might in Manhattan. Instead, you’ll find Taiwanese citizens lining up to heave their own bags into the garbage truck each and every night. By turning rubbish collection into a daily civic duty, this island of 23.5 million has been remarkably successful at achieving something that eludes most developing nations: The richer Taiwan gets, the less trash it produces."
- rønin
"The former minister of Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration, Dr. Eugene Chien, who helped create the program during his tenure, says its success proves that if you educate kids, they do the work for you.
“If you tell the adults that they must separate the garbage, they get mad with you,” Dr. Chien told a group of journalists at a meeting in November. “But if I teach their son or their daughter, then the parent will say, ‘Why is my child so smart?’ and they will do it.”"
- rønin
Do we have the concept of "civic duty" here?
- Brian Johns
We used to, at least.
- Spidra Webster
The not leaving trash bags outside for pickup makes sense considering how hot & humid Taiwan is year round. When I was living in Taipei they hadn't started the blue bag only restriction yet but I can imagine that not going over well here.
- rønin