Why does there seem to be an extreme lack of public trashcans in Taiwan?

Why does there seem to be an extreme lack of public trashcans in Taiwan? - Boards with rollers for skateboarding placed on wooden bench in park in daylight

After visiting Taiwan a fair amount of times, this is something that has struck me as quite odd. I've never seen a country quite like Taiwan where there is a very obvious lack of public trashcans. It seems no matter the city, not just the capital, all have a seeming absence of these trashcans, yet the streets still remain relatively clean and litter free.

At first I chalked it up to being just an uncanny feeling and not actually real. But as my trip progressed I found myself having to duck inside nearby convenience stores to throw trash away or stash it in a bag to throw away upon returning to where I was staying. It has always seemed that the best places to find a fair amount of public trashcans were either the public parks, or night market. Wandering along shopping streets yielded the same odd feeling of having nowhere to put trash.

There's got to be an explanation for why this seems to be -- it always feels off when there's a lack of public trashcans, yet the streets mostly are litter free. Compare to a city like San Francisco, where the streets have a trash can that can be found on nearly any block, but at the same time still sees constant littering (of which some is from homeless, but not all).

As such, besides public parks and convenience stores, where else are the most convenient options to find public trash cans?



Best Answer

Taiwan has more expensive official trash bags which are needed to throw out non-separated trash. Separated waste can be put in any cheap bag. If people would have free public trashcans, this won't help encourage recycling.

Another reason is that the trashcans will attract insects and rats.




Pictures about "Why does there seem to be an extreme lack of public trashcans in Taiwan?"

Why does there seem to be an extreme lack of public trashcans in Taiwan? - Person on amusement ride under clear sky
Why does there seem to be an extreme lack of public trashcans in Taiwan? - Shabby sports ground with skateboarders in bushes
Why does there seem to be an extreme lack of public trashcans in Taiwan? - Blue billboard saying Love is why placed on road surrounded by cars and street lights against black night



How getting rid of dustbins helped Taiwan clean up its cities?

The landmark legislation made recycling and waste reduction a priority, and it introduced an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme, the funds from which would go into a government pot that would be used to build out waste management or recycling facilities. Now, Taiwan's recycling rate is one of the best in the world.

Is Taipei a clean city?

Taipei is a super-clean city. This despite the fact that there are astonishingly few trash cans out and about\u2014your home, Metro stations and convenience stores are just about the only places to throw things away. At home, trash collection is a group activity.



Why Taiwan Removed All of their Bins and How they Became Leaders in Recycling




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Images: Budgeron Bach, Tim Gouw, sergio souza, Kelly L