Piles of Scrap Wood and Mattresses at Shalu Clean Team Depot; Taichung City Gov't to Expedite Cleanup with Special Project

(CNA, Taichung, June 8, by reporter Chao Li-yen) Waste materials including scrap wood and old mattresses have accumulated at the depot of the Shalu District Clean Team in Taichung. DPP City Councilor Yang Tien-chung stated that the site was previously a joint landfill for Daya and Shalu townships, expressing concern it could become a long-term dump. The city government has responded that a special project has been planned to expedite cleanup and processing.

Various types of waste and recyclables are piled up at the Shalu Clean Team's site. In a written statement today, Yang Tien-chung noted that while the entrance sign reads 'Shalu District Daya District Landfill,' it has in reality become a long-term storage site for waste the city cannot process, fearing a repeat of the 'Dali garbage mountain' situation in Shalu.

A staff member from the Shalu Clean Team explained that the accumulation was caused by a recent annual maintenance shutdown of an incinerator, but cleanup efforts are now being accelerated.

The Taichung City Environmental Protection Bureau responded via a written statement that the piled-up items, including old motorcycles, waste plastics, scrap wood, and old mattresses, are all recyclables or bulky waste temporarily stored during routine garbage collection and recycling operations. They are currently being processed through existing sale and outsourcing mechanisms. Notably, a special project has been planned to expedite the cleanup and processing of scrap wood and mattresses.

The Bureau pointed out that during the recycling process, some materials lack recycling value or contain impurities, requiring manual sorting before proper disposal. The Bureau will continue to enhance sorting operations, optimize site facilities, improve sorting efficiency, and comprehensively review the accumulation status at all sites. It will also strengthen management mechanisms and disposal capacity to ensure proper waste treatment and maintain environmental quality. (Editor: Chen Jen-hua) 1150608