There are more than 67,000 Tzu Chi recycling volunteers in Taiwan. Many of them are elderly with no formal education. But when it comes to sorting recyclables, even younger volunteers with advanced college degrees can’t compare to these older volunteers. These stewards of the Earth give of themselves cheerfully and make good use of their retirement by collecting and reclaiming reusable resources. ... Full story

Plastic bags and packaging are an icon of the convenience culture that permeates modern society. According to Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration, a whopping 18 billion plastic bags are used in Taiwan each year—an average of more than 700 bags per person, per year. Equally alarming is the fact that less than ten percent of those bags are recycled. The vast majority of the non-biodegra... Full story