To address the sharp increase in waste volume and the heavy concentration of sanitation manpower ahead of the Lunar New Year, the Taoyuan Office of Environmental Management has launched a new household cleaning program titled “Clean Homes, All Year Round.” The initiative transforms the traditional once-a-year deep cleaning into a regular routine. By integrating daily and monthly recycling reward mechanisms, the program encourages residents to gradually complete home organization while embracing decluttering and circular reuse practices.
Director Chang Shu-Hao of the Office of Environmental Management noted that in previous years, a surge of waste in the week before the Lunar New Year led to long queues for garbage disposal and significantly increased workloads for sanitation crews. In response, the City Government has upgraded the existing cleaning day, held on the second Saturday of each month, into a citywide “Light Cleaning Day.” Combined with a series of recycling incentives, the initiative encourages residents to begin cleaning earlier and dispose of items in batches, preventing last-minute congestion before the holiday.
According to the Office, the concept of “Monthly Clean-Up” aims to make environmental tidying a natural part of everyday life rather than a source of stress before the holidays. Through structured incentive programs, residents can complete recycling and home organization tasks as part of their daily routines, helping them prepare for the New Year with ease while effectively dispersing peak waste collection periods. Under the daily reward program, the Office has partnered with major convenience store chains, including 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Hi-Life. Residents may bring used dry batteries, lithium batteries, and mobile phone batteries to participating stores for recycling. For every 0.5 kg collected, participants can redeem a shopping discount and enter prize draws. Additionally, a “Cigarette Butt Bottle” program encourages residents to collect cigarette butts using their own plastic bottles and deliver them to local recycling stations in exchange for environmentally friendly products, further enhancing urban cleanliness.
For monthly exchange activities, the program integrates 140 “Taoyuan Recycling Stations” across the city. Residents may bring recyclable materials to nearby stations to redeem promotional items or Citizen Card credits. Second-hand markets are also organized, inviting residents to bring usable items to designated locations for exchange or reuse, thereby extending product life cycles and promoting the principles of a circular economy.
The Office emphasized that through the “Monthly Clean-Up” program, residents can gradually complete household organization in a way that better aligns with everyday living patterns. Compared with concentrated year-end cleaning, this model supports the development of stable, long-term environmental habits. Details regarding activity schedules and reward items will be announced on the “Protecting Taoyuan” (護守桃花源) Facebook page. The Office further stressed that only through collective participation can cleanliness become an everyday habit. By working together, residents can help Taoyuan become a more sustainable and livable city that combines environmental friendliness with everyday convenience.