Keelung City’s Bureau of Environmental Protection is providing 30 collectors of trash and recyclable items with free protective gear and insurance.
The donation includes handcarts, safety helmets, reflective vests and first aid kits, plus a health exam and NT$1 million (US$32,300) in accident insurance for each worker.
Bureau Director Jiang Shan-xin said Keelung Hospital and a local corporate sponsor are continuing to provide assistance to run the initiative. Meanwhile, the Keelung branch of the Tri-Service General Hospital, the Keelung branch of the Chang Gung Hospital and Kuo Hua Life have joined the organizations this year to provide services to the people who are on the front line in keeping the city clean.
According to Keelung City Mayor Chang Tong-rong, when residents in the past did not have the habit of dividing recyclables from the rest of their trash, it has been these collectors of recyclable items, many of whom live on the fringes of society, who have taken on the dirty work of rummaging through the trash. Chang added that the city has encouraged companies to donate accident insurance and other goods to these individuals so that they could have better protection when working on the streets.
Chang explained that the collection of recyclable goods requires the continued efforts of the public at large, adding that the Bureau of Environmental Protection is currently planning various initiatives to encourage “green consumption,” reducing waste at the source and recycling to cut the volume of garbage.
