Taiwan’s sanitation workers have it tough. Every day, each garbage truck team here handles an average of 772 tons of trash. And thanks to the traditional stigma surrounding their jobs, it’s fairly thankless work.
But sanitation workers are essential. And now, Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration is taking steps to improve their working conditions and combat negative perceptions of the job they do.
A garbage truck depot in Taoyuan’s Xinwu District sits right next to a school. You might think that this would be a recipe for some neighborly friction. But thanks to a thorough cleaning regimen that the trucks undergo each day, there is no smell. In fact, the kids are often invited over to learn about sanitation work.
The depot in Xinwu is home to one of the Environmental Protection Administration’s model garbage brigades. The administration has teamed up with local governments to improve working conditions at sites like this one and fight misconceptions about the sanitation work profession.
Workers here now have a shower with hot water that they can use after their shifts. They have also received brand new uniforms. Through these steps and education outreach programs targeted at places like the school next-door, the administration hopes to give garbage collectors a positive image as hardworking people who get an essential job done.