What I Learned in Taiwan: Green Living

When I just finished my college, I joined a tour group in Taiwan. The tour was an educational one. We travelled to different places and saw many beautiful types of scenery. We also learned a bit about Taiwan’s arts and culture. But there is one thing I learned that I will never forget, and it’s about loving the environment.

It was from Taiwan that I first learned to love my environment. Before, I wasn’t fully aware of global warming and the impact it has to the world. I was ignorant then. It was our Taiwanese tour guide who taught us all about it. At the end of the day, the tour guide would collect the water bottles we had used during the day. The bottles would then be sent to the recycling center. He said that by doing so, we reduce the amount of plastic bottles being produced, thus less carbon emissions by the manufacturing plants. He also encouraged us to reuse our bottles whenever possible, but warned us against refilling them with hot water as that would only leach out toxic chemicals from the plastics.

During meals, the disposable plates, cups, and chopsticks were also recycled. After each meal, we would bring our wastes to a set of garbage bins and segregate them accordingly. Plastic plates and cups were thrown into one bin, chopsticks into another, and the rest went to the third bin. A staff would usually stand by the bins to see if we were segregating them correctly. Things like these were also being taught to Taiwanese children at preschool. This way, children learn to practice good habits at a very young age.

During the night, we would go to the nearest convenience stores to buy snacks. The first time we did, much to my surprise then, the lady behind the counter refused to give us plastic bags. I learned that they dislike giving plastics for free. This is indeed helpful to the environment. I was so used to plastics that I’ve taken them for granted. People who buy at grocery stores were encouraged to bring their own bag for shopping. Canvas bags are very popular among them. You will find foldable bags with beautiful designs being sold in their market. People would bring these so they could always go to the grocery to grab some merchandise whenever they want to. This has been practised in many countries already. I’m yet to see it happen in my own place. Although many supermarkets here already encourage the green way by selling their own reusable grocery bags, plastic bags are still provided for free.

The Taiwanese people are particularly concerned about climate change. They adapt environmental-friendly lifestyles in order to avoid worsening the climate. Air pollution produced by industrial factories increase the likelihood of this phenomenon. Once the temperature rises, the icebergs from the North and South poles would start melting, leading to a rise of sea level. According to the tour guide, if this happens, Taiwan will be among the first to be submerged.

What the guide had said was the worst case scenario. I had still encountered people who do not believe about the significance of global warming and climate change. Whether this phenomenon is “an inconvenient truth” or just a scare, what we do know is that plastics are still harmful to the environment. They pollute the air and the water. In addition, they also contain chemicals that are harmful to our bodies when ingested. For these reasons alone, plastics should be used with caution and if possible, be replaced with organic and biodegradable materials. Although plastics are impossible to eradicate entirely from our lives, lessening our consumption is possible. It’s hard to find a product that is completely plastic-free. Reusing the plastics that come with the products is a great way to help the environment. By reusing plastics instead of immediately throwing them away, we could greatly lessen their bulk in the landfill.

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