How getting rid of dustbins helped Taiwan clean up its cities | why is taiwan so clean
Therearestillaround1,700binsscatteredaroundTaipei’smoredenselypopulatedareas,Karaminotes.Withapopulationof2.7millionresidents,thatmeansthere’salreadyjustonebintoevery1,500peopleorso.“Bysimplygettingridofrubbishbins,welosetheopportunitytounderstandwhywasteisgenerated,wherethebulkofitcomesfromandwhatwecanpossiblydoaboutitemsthatpeoplethrowaway.Thequestionpeopleaskis,howweshouldbedisposingofourwaste?Butthequestionweshouldbeaskingis,whatisabetterwaytomanagewastedisposal?”Overandabovedumpingbinsa...
There are still around 1,700 bins scattered around Taipei’s more densely populated areas, Karami notes. With a population of 2.7 million residents, that means there’s already just one bin to every 1,500 people or so. “By simply getting rid of rubbish bins, we lose the opportunity to understand why waste is generated, where the bulk of it comes from and what we can possibly do about items that people throw away. The question people ask is, how we should be disposing of our waste? But the question we should be asking is, what is a better way to manage waste disposal?”
Over and above dumping bins and reducing waste slated for landfills, Karami says that there is a need to do more. “What we should be looking to do is understand our waste,” he says. He points out black spots in understanding of waste generation in Taipei. Recycling rates are lower in certain areas, but no one yet knows why – and there are no educational programmes on recycling provided fo...