Abstract
Pingtung County is a major agricultural county in Taiwan with agricultural output that is increasing in quantity and value. Copious agricultural waste is generated during agricultural production. Farmers typically eliminate agricultural waste through open-air burning, which causes air pollution and health hazards. Therefore, the Environmental Protection Bureau of the Pingtung City Government has implemented programs to assist farmers in appropriately processing agricultural waste, such as free clearance. Various media promotion is also used to guide farmers in proper agricultural waste disposal as well as wood recycling, thereby solving the problems associated with the wasting of wood resources. Assistance is provided to farmers regarding disposal of wood waste without burning to protect the air quality of Pingtung County.
This program aims to mitigate problems related to the open-air burning of agricultural waste in Pingtung County and the disposal of wood waste through the following measures: (1) guiding farmers in open-air burning reduction and proper disposal of agricultural waste, thereby lowering pollutants; (2) improving the condition of the 60-ha soil covered by ground cover sheets through various methods to properly dispose of agricultural waste; (3) integrating resources across the departments of the Pingtung Country Government, establishing an Internet of Things (IoT) to dispose of agricultural waste as well as branches and leaves, disposing of 1,800 tons of wood waste, and maintaining six temporary waste collection sites; and (4) promoting guidelines for reducing open-air burning through print, electronic media, and broadcasting, hosting seminars to raise awareness and publicity regarding the open-air burning prevention programs in Pingtung County, and facilitating understanding of information on proper agricultural waste disposal and its results. The aforementioned promotion methods would increase the prevalence of various effective agricultural waste disposal measures in the governed area.
From July 1 to December 31, 2019, a total of 2,043.32 tons of wood agricultural waste was cleared, most of which originated from wax apple production, a key crop for open-air burning control. The guidance to farmers on recycling ground cover sheets has resulted in a total area of 63.89 ha being recycled. Repair and maintenance of six temporary waste collection sites (located at Linbian, Jiadong, Ligang, Gaoshu, Neipu, and Nanzhou Townships) continue—among them, the sites at Jiadong and Nanzhou—cleared the largest quantities of agricultural waste. An agricultural film recycling pilot zone has been established at the waste collection site in Ligang for farmers to place their films. Each waste collection site has surveillance cameras installed to ensure that waste of unknown origins is excluded. To systemize wood waste clearance in Pingtung, an IoT electronic information system has been established to archive data on the types of agricultural waste disposed of and the disposal locations in Pingtung, providing a thorough grasp of the status regarding national agricultural waste disposal. Agricultural land distribution data are established according to the cadastral information recorded by each department of the Pingtung County Government to enhance future agricultural waste clearance plans. An app is used to process waste disposal applications, integrate data, and establish a waste disposal standard operating procedure. This facilitates the integration of resources across relevant departments in the IoT and effective resource logistics and distribution, thus attaining cross-department collaboration. Thus far, 12 promotional seminars have been hosted in 2019 in coordination with agricultural units and the open-air burning reduction plan. During the seasons when open-air burning occurs, the county mayor recorded a promotional video and broadcasted it on Kiss Radio 200 times. Recycling trucks from each township office also assisted in promoting open-air burning reduction and free clearance, and marquees were utilized by public welfare channels and the county government for promotion. To promote the disposal policies of the Environmental Protection Bureau, four articles published on social media channels and in print media provide information on agricultural waste to the general public. Relevant data have been organized and reported to the Division of Comprehensive Planning for presentation of environmental education achievements. See Appendix 1 for details on project implementation.
The results of this program are summarized as follows: (1) The free clearance guidance plan has been approved by most farmers. In particular, the open-air-burning-control procedure for clearing the waste from wax apple production is the same as that for other key crops. Free clearance of waste branches and leaves from fruit trees effectively reduces open-air burning. (2) Recycling of ground cover sheets has provided farmers with a satisfactory approach for sheet disposal. Subsidized clearance has mitigated burdens on farmers and increased their willingness to properly dispose of films. Recycling incentives can be provided for farmers to properly dispose of agricultural waste, thereby raising the reuse value of the wastes. (3) Diverse promotion methods, including electronic media, have effectively enhanced the publicity of the guidance programs by the Environmental Protection Bureau, and farmers have participated enthusiastically. (4) High volumes of waste clearance in all of the temporary waste collection sites indicate an increasingly prevalent participation in waste disposal programs by farmers. The management of any additional waste collection sites constructed requires particular attention to ensure that waste of unknown origins is excluded. (5) Currently, most wood agricultural waste is incinerated in the Kanding Incineration Plant, wasting resources. Recycling of this waste must be further enhanced through coordination with relevant industries.
