Green group raises plastic trash awareness in Taiwan

2014-11-24

Plastic trash comprises the majority of beach garbage in Taiwan and poses serious ecological and public health issues, according to a report released Nov. 20 by Taipei City-based Society of Wilderness.

A total of 88 percent of all litter collected from 18 beaches nationwide between September and October consisted of plastic. This was followed by glass, 6.5 percent; compound materials, 3.2 percent; iron and aluminum, 1.3 percent; and paper, 1 percent, according to the report.

“This data serves a serious reminder about the levels of plastic trash in Taiwan,” a society official said. “It also instills a greater appreciation of the impact personal choices have on the environment.”

According to the official, the danger of beach trash is that it may accidentally be consumed by sea creatures and enter into the food chain. Plastics also release endocrine disrupting chemicals significantly harming the metabolic system in humans.

Regarding the types of plastic found on the beaches, disposable utensils and polyethylene terephthalate bottles are more common in northern Taiwan, while Styrofoam dominates in the central and southern parts of the country.

“Such a trend is because places like Chiayi County, Kaohsiung City, Taichung City and Yunlin County are comparatively less urbanized and have robust aquaculture industries utilizing Styrofoam.”

The society also included its first microplastics concentration study as part of the report. It discovered 77, 787 and 199 bits limited to 2.5 centimeters long per square meter in New Taipei, Kaohsiung and Tainan cities.

“These tiny pieces are mostly the result of the cleavage process of plastics,” the official said, adding that this illustrates how petrochemical products never fully disappear from the world.

Established in 1995, the society is dedicated to raising awareness of environmental issues in Taiwan by hosting an array of events such as beach cleaning, hiking and workshops.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=224348&CtNode=413)