20 years of recycling and counting
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In the last 20 years, Tzu Chi's environmental stations have spread from Taichung in central Taiwan, to 17 countries all over the world. As well as helping clean up the environment, the stations are community gathering points for elderly residents, and places where many a lost soul has turned over a new leaf. Today, Tzu Chi is taking environmentalism into the home, by encouraging people to reduce and reuse, as well as recycle.
< Recycling review >
There are now over 5,000 environmental stations worldwide. But on the 20th anniversary of Tzu Chi's conservation mission, its focus is shifting.
Master Cheng Yen:"We need to have this principle: "Clean up recycling at the source." What does that mean? We know plastic bottles start clean, the mineral water inside is also clean. We need to tell our members: "Please collect clean bottles, and don't let them get dirty, until we come to pick them up." That way they'll stay clean. "
< Cleaning and sorting at home >
This woman uses her laundry water, or the water left over from washing rice, to clean plastic bags so they can be stored at home without creating a smell or attracting bugs.
Starting in their own homes, volunteers ask their neighbors to wash, and sort items into up to 20 categories, helping environmental station volunteers work more efficiently.
Clean plastic bottles make higher quality fabric. That is why at the 2010 World Cup, nine teams wore uniforms made from recycled PET from Taiwan.
Da Ai Technology president, Huang Huade:"Sorting PET bottles, and throwing out the unwanted things produces the purest raw material. In the production process, the raw material turns out to be the most important factor for quality."
< Composting kitchen waste >
Volunteers apply the same principle of recycling and reusing the earth's resources to kitchen waste.
At the Tzu Chi Taichung grounds, there is a kitchen waste recycling room, where leftovers and scraps are processed into compost and liquid fertilizer.
Meanwhile at the Banqiao and Sanchong grounds in Taipei, kitchen waste is turned into organic soil for growing fruit and vegetables, and clear and odorless washing liquid.
< Green living >
At the Da Ai farm in Gangshan, children from nearby Tainan Tzu Chi Junior High School bend their backs in the field to get their first experience of planting vegetables.
In Tzu Chi's Hualien heartland, the Jing Si Abode is fitted with wind, water and solar generators.
Tzu Chi religious department director, Xie Weiyang:"Mother Nature's energy is all around us. And none of this is hi-tech. It can all be used by anyone with basic knowledge of physics and mechanics."
< Cutting back on waste at the source >
Another way to cut back is to ride a bicycle, restore your old clothes to make a new outfit, or take reusable eating utensils with you wherever you go. Cutting back on waste at the source starts with you and me, which is why Tzu Chi's recycling stations are turning into community environmental education centers, to teach the next generation about changing habits to make the world a better place.
二十年來，慈濟的環保站從台中遍及台灣各個角落乃至全球十七個國家，除了單純的回收分類，還兼具為長輩們的輕安居，甚至也回收了許多失去心靈依靠者，給他們重生的勇氣，如今環保概念已經深植每一戶家庭，也鼓勵大家減量，重新利用和回收的重要性。
全球超過五千個環保據點，但是慈濟環保二十年的今天，要邁向新的里程碑。
Master Cheng Yen：「我們現在開始要有這樣的理念，「環保清淨在源頭。」要如何清淨在源頭呢？我們知道剛開始那個寶特瓶它很乾淨，裝的是礦泉水，也是很乾淨，我們要去向我們的會員宣導一下，「拜託你們，乾淨的罐子是不是能夠把它收好，累積下來，我們什麼時候來收，不要讓它髒污掉了。」這就是保持乾淨。」
洗過衣服的水或是洗米水收集備用，可以清洗家裡回收來的塑膠袋和瓶瓶罐罐，防止滋生異味或蚊蟲。
從自家做起，慈濟志工也帶動社區鄰居做回收，分類項目多達二十種之多，讓回收站的志工提高分類效能。
乾淨的寶特瓶可以提高再製衣料的良率，像2010年世界杯足球賽，有九支隊伍穿的就是來自台灣回收寶特瓶再製的球衣。
Da Ai Technology president, Huang Huade：「把寶特瓶分類，把不必要的東西拆除，變成最乾淨的材質，這些材質讓我們在後面的製程裡面，變成最重要的良率。」
志工也將資源回收再製的概念應用在廚餘上，慈濟台中志業園區設立了廚餘回收屋，專門收集葉菜根莖和果皮，經過加工，轉化為堆肥和液態肥。
而在台北的板橋和三重慈濟園區，也將廚餘發酵製成有機土，用來種菜種樹，和透明無色的有機水，當做天然清潔劑。
高雄岡山的大愛農場，台南慈濟中學的孩子們彎腰當農夫，第一次種下幼苗。
在花蓮靜思精舍則裝設有風力、水力以及太陽能發電系統。
Tzu Chi religious department director, Xie Weiyang：「大自然賜予我們的能量就在我們四周，而且這些都不是高科技，這些是我們在地的每一個人只要都有基本的物理跟機械常識，都可以去利用。」
另一個減碳的方式就是騎腳踏車，將回收衣物改一改就成了新衣服，隨身攜帶環保杯筷，降低垃圾製造量就從你我做起，同時，慈濟環保站已經成為社區的環保教育站，教育下一代改變生活習慣，回歸儉樸，讓世界更美好。
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