Stop littering randomly！ Alishan sets up Taiwan’s first “automatic recycling machine”

▲The Alishan Scenic Area, famous for its sacred trees, sea of clouds, and small trains, is renowned both at home and abroad. (Photo provided by the Forestry Bureau)

Reported by Cai Wenjun / Compiled by staff

The Alishan Scenic Area, beloved by both domestic and international tourists, has seen a steady rise in visitor numbers in recent years, resulting in an increasing amount of trash carelessly discarded in the mountains and forests. To tackle this issue, Chiayi County Government has installed the nation’s first automatic recycling machine (ARM) specifically designed for scenic areas at Longyin Temple. Visitors can also exchange two plastic bottles or metal cans deposited into the machine for a coupon to get a unique Alishan-themed keychain.

Located at a key junction where the flatland meets the mountainous section of the Alishan Highway, Longyin Temple sees a constant flow of tourists and worshippers. However, most visitors tend to casually toss their metal cans and plastic bottles into trash bins as they pass by, forcing the temple management to assign staff to sort and clean up the waste. To encourage better recycling habits among visitors, the county government decided to install the automatic recycling machine here.

%tech I pursue environmental protection Now installing the country's first automatic recycling machine. It hopes to improve the mountain environment and reduce pollution problems. (Photo provided by Chiayi County Government)

Yan Xuming, Director of the Chiayi County Environmental Protection Bureau, said that the Alishan Scenic Area is one of the nation’s most famous tourist destinations. It is estimated that in 2014 (103 in the Republic of China calendar), visitor numbers will reach 4.9 million, generating at least 4,312 metric tons of tourism-related waste, which is bound to impose a significant environmental burden on the high-altitude region. He called on the public to properly sort and recycle tourism waste after the installation of the automatic recycling machine, to jointly protect the mountain environment.

In the future, depending on the effectiveness of the recycling effort, the Environmental Protection Bureau may also expand the use of automatic recycling machines to other scenic spots.