| Four Decades of
Sustainable Development: Recycling from Within
Proven volunteer-led programs from
Tzu Chi Foundation, an international faith-based
humanitarian organization
Tzu Chi’s innovative recycling ideas began
in Taiwan and have spread all over the world.
In 2003 alone, Tzu Chi’s 40,000 environmental
volunteers helped recycle 123,000 tons of reusable
materials in Taiwan. This includes 57 million
plastic bottles that got a new lease on life.
The efforts of its volunteers not only help sustain
neighborhood recycling programs, but their success
has also inspired Tzu Chi volunteers all over
the globe to take part and educate others. Because
protecting the environment comes first, when considering
development, whether building Tzu Chi hospitals,
schools or housing for disaster survivors, the
most advanced sustainable designs are always utilized.
Tzu Chi’s recycling motto is “turning
trash into gold; and gold into love.” In
Malaysia, recycling on a mass scale, which involves
many volunteers, has led to the funding of Tzu
Chi’s Dialysis Center in Penang. In Taiwan,
recycling funds have helped support Tzu Chi’s
television station, Da-Ai TV. One of Da-Ai’s
major goals is to get the message out about how
easy it is to protect the environment and live
a “green” lifestyle.
How is this possible? Tzu Chi’s recycling
programs did not come from government initiatives
or programs from environmental groups. Tzu Chi’s
programs originated from individuals – volunteers
who realized that the Earth needs everyone to
care for it. From this one idea, volunteers started
to collect recyclables, and came together to set
up neighborhood recycling stations. By recycling
on a large scale, these actions have changed the
lives of many individuals. People start to consume
less. In turn, people’s lives change for
the better. This is recycling from within, or
spiritual recycling. Taking action to protect
natural resources, each person begins by collecting
and sorting trash. The physical act of sorting
and throwing out garbage leads individuals to
appreciate that resources are not limitless. This
allows individuals to spiritually let go of the
need for material possessions and to appreciate
all that they have already consumed. When a change
occurs from within, volunteers are eager to motivate
others to join in this effort.
Who are the environmental volunteers? They are
school children, working professionals and seventy-five
year-old grandparents. Protecting the earth comes
from a basic Buddhist principle of respect for
all living beings. These volunteers bring their
friends and families together and help to create
a community of people who genuinely care about
the environment. The first step is to make a change
in lifestyle by reducing the depletion of resources.
For example, start using re-usable containers,
utensils and mugs and stop using disposable bottles
and paper cups. Secondly, recycle and reuse resources
so that the amount of waste is reduced: recycle
paper, plastics, steel, aluminum, and glass. By
reducing garbage we can prolong the longevity
of trash dumps and landfills.
For years, environmental protection concerns
have been raised by scientists and environmentalists.
Urbanization, consumerism and industrialization
have sped up the pollution of our planet. Many
believe that protecting the environment is the
responsibility of specialized environmental groups
or governments. Others believe that they are not
accountable for cleaning up rivers, preserving
open space and coming up with stiffer environmental
laws. But the responsibility of protecting the
environment must come down to the individual level.
For nearly four decades, Tzu Chi Foundation has
implemented do-able recycling programs that have
not only been sustainable, but have grown to include
individuals of all ages from all walks of life.
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