TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan is grappling with a growing waste crisis, as over 100 "garbage mountains" dot the landscape. The largest is at the Xinfeng Regional Sanitary Landfill (新豐區域性衛生掩埋場) in Hsinchu County (新竹縣), where waste has accumulated since 1990. Despite a 20-year government initiative to curb waste, total production reached around 12 million metric tons in 2023, with each person generating 1.36 kilograms daily.
As incinerators near maintenance deadlines, the inability to process excess waste resulted in 750,000 metric tons of temporary storage by the end of 2022. Hsi Chih-Lun (許智倫), deputy director-general of the Ministry of Environment's (MOENV, 環境部) Resource Circulation Administration, noted logistical challenges, including traffic disruptions caused by garbage and recycling trucks.
Greenpeace Taiwan's project director, Chang Kai-ting (張凱婷), pointed out discrepancies in recycling statistics, stating that despite government claims of a 50% recycling rate, the actual resource reuse rate is below 30%. The government has pushed for plastic reduction, achieving a 58.3% recycling rate in 2023, exceeding 60% in early 2024. Yet, Greenpeace reported that waste production has topped 10 million metric tons annually since 2019, with household plastic waste rising from 17% in 2018 to 28% in 2022.
Chang stressed the need for more robust measures, suggesting the government promote waste reduction methods like reusable cup systems. Increasing public awareness and source reduction are essential to prevent further waste accumulation.