Garbage in Taiwan

Ours is a culture and a time immensely rich in trash as it is in treasures.
-Ray Bradbury

One thing that was unusual to us was the garbage system in Taiwan. I remember the first time we were looking for apartments and our recruiter was saying something about being around at 7 o'clock to catch the garbage truck. We didn't really understand why we would have to catch a garbage truck and asked if there was an area in the basement or somewhere else where we can put our trash. She explained that there really isn't any areas where they put trash unless you live in an upper class neighborhood. 

So what do you do with your trash? If you asked a foreigner this question they would probably tell you to listen for classical music.

In Taiwan there are garbage trucks have loud speakers that blast Für Elise and you literally have to run outside your apartment and catch that garbage truck to throw your trash away. Following close behind the garbage truck is a recycling truck where you can give all your recycled items which is mandatory in the country. I guess that a country that is so densely populated they need to waste as little as possible. They are a little hypocritical with this philosophy because cashiers try to give you a plastic bag with every cup of coffee or tea you buy.

Taiwanese Garbage truck.

Taiwanese Recycle Truck.

In some ways I see how this trash system is good but in other ways there is a lot of noise pollution. It is not pleasant to hear while you're at home trying to relax or teaching a class. If you have a normal job and you don't work nights it’s an easy way to keep your house clean and trash free. 

One of the inconveniences of this system is there are not many trash cans to use on the streets or in buildings. At the school we work at none of the classrooms or the office has a trashcan. So if you have a piece of trash like a wrapper from something you have to walk outside across the schoolyard to the trashcan by the bathrooms where someone will take it to the truck later that night. Also if you're somewhere out in the city it is virtually impossible to find a trashcan anywhere except maybe in a convenience store.

Overall it's a great system but where we live I think some people don't take the time to find a garbage truck and if you run along the streets you can see big piles of garbage and decaying furniture along the streets. There are even some piles of garbage that look like people have been collecting it for over a year near some of the apartments. In the countryside it’s even worse since I don’t think the trash trucks even go out there, so if you walk around rural areas it’s difficult to enjoy yourself since there’s rotting trash everywhere and discarded toilets and furniture in streams and rivers. I think that from traveling there are very few countries that really care about properly disposing of their trash. It would be a lot nicer if you can take a walk and look at the scenery and not see so much garbage.