Even though buffer-underrun issues are pretty much a thing of the past when it comes to CD and DVD writing, things can go wrong that leads to a coaster, such as a write failure, poor quality disc/recording, wrong or missing data on the disc and so on. While most users would not give second thoughts to chugging that failed disc into the trash can, apparently Taiwan is now cracking down on those who fail to recycle unwanted CDs and DVDs.
Taiwan
has been trying for a long time to encourage its citizens to recycle, but with little success. The same went with trialling a fee based system where users would get a penalty for not recycling in three major cities in Taiwan. Under the new mandate, which is set to take effect on Monday 17th, those who fail to recycle their optical discs as well as mobile phones can face fines of up to $184 according to the island's Environmental Protection Administration (EPA).
Unlike
many other countries, Taiwan's garbage and recycling trucks collect garbage on a daily basis and the bins are a lot smaller, making it easy for the attendants on the trucks to check what consumers are placing into the trucks to make sure they are not throwing out any recyclable contents.
|
Taiwan has long encouraged its citizens to recycle, in part due to limited available space for landfill: the island is home to 23 million people, with a population density of 1,610 per square mile. A mountain range that runs from north to south through the middle of the island further limits available space. |
This is probably the first time a country will be tackling the disposable of optical discs with fines, but then again as consumers often trash old unwanted discs, such as old backups, AOL CDs that come with PC magazines, failed written discs and so on, this can quickly build up in the landfill, considering that the majority of discs are not biodegradable. Worse still, not that long ago, DVD rental companies tried selling self-destructing DVD rentals where the disc would become unplayable after 24 to 48 hours of opening, which also led to consumers trashing these after their viewing period.
Source: Computer Partner
