If you had told me before moving to Taiwan that my most consistent social highlight would involve sprinting down an alley holding bags of squishy food scraps while chasing a yellow truck blasting Beethoven, I would have thought you were joking. But every single night of the week, without fail, the same classical music of A Maiden’s Prayer rings out from the area. Immediately, chaos ensues and doors are flung open, spilling people from apartments all over the street. It is known in Taiwan as ‘Keep Trash Off the Ground.’ The reason there is no dumpster chute is because you have to wait for the truck.
Being a student of the UK, I was mesmerised by this everyday block party. However, underneath all this excitement there is a very deep message of sustainability. This made me understand that sustainable development of our planet earth does not involve only highly technical inventions or installations like solar panels, but it involves something that we call ‘social capital.’ Life on this island quickly teaches you that environmental awareness is not just another fashion statement but an inherent geographic requirement. In other parts of the world where one has the advantage of extensive borders and no imminent danger to their environment, it becomes all too easy to overlook the need for stability in our surroundings. The space seems endless. However, in Taiwan, an island where more than 70 percent of its territory comprises mountainous regions, things aren’t that simple. There is absolutely no room for any mistake. You cannot keep piling up all your rubbish in the form of countless landfills when you absolutely do not have any more land left. The cities are just too crowded to accommodate many more private cars, and that is why there is absolutely no place for parking at all.
This is where the element of social capital comes into play. Governmental top-down policies will be effective only if the individuals are convinced of their validity. It is what makes Taiwan one of the leading countries when it comes to recycling. Taiwan’s recycling rate is an impressive 67%. This is because of the social bonding that takes place among neighbours on the street, where you do not remain an anonymous individual.
Certainly, making a trip around the world just to learn at this place generates a kind of contradiction, because the process of transportation itself results in great carbon emissions. But the truth is that the real magic starts with reducing the damage that will be done on the land by using the local eco-friendly apps, avoiding flights, and plunging into the recycling culture. Living in a place where innovation is required for survival has helped me overcome my complacency. What I have learned from these experiences is like having a set of tools to use back home. It’s been helpful seeing how a society functions effectively within tight resource constraints, and using what I’ve learned will help make a green difference during my travels abroad.
