It’s trash time in Taipei!

You’d never think daily chores would say something about a culture. I mean, everybody takes out their trash the same way, right?

Nuh-uh. In Taipei, the typical trudge to the curb is a neighborhood affair – a mini-party of sorts!

Julia Ross explains,

Taiwanese friends tell me that 10 years ago, their capital’s sidewalks were drowning in rotting garbage. You’d never know it today, thanks to the introduction of a per-bag trash-collection fee to discourage consumption, a charge for plastic bags at supermarkets and the rigorous recycling policy now in effect. These changes created an infinitely cleaner city. Even more impressive, they fueled a sense of civic responsibility in a place where democracy is still taking root. Just as the Taiwanese invest in their young representative government, they invest in a clean environment. There’s a palpable appreciation for hard-won progress. Read more…