Environmental protection in Taipei

The city of Taipei has taken a number of creative and crucial steps to minimize the environmental impact of its 2.6 million residents, and I was excited to see them in action during our trip! For example, plant-covered walls were widespread -- they're aesthetically pleasing, oxygen-emitting, and cooling.
Taiwan's recycling infrastructure is also highly advanced. Trash areas at our university not only separate trash from recyclable waste, they also feature separate vessels for paper drink boxes, plastic bottles, newspapers, aluminum cans, paper cups, and batteries. Additionally, potable water machines were widespread, making it much easier for people to stay hydrated without relying on bottled water.
Finally, air conditioning in Taipei was generally surprisingly reasonable! Turns out that fancy shops and restaurants don't use hypothermia-inducing AC temperatures because of a city regulation requiring that air conditioning be set at 26 C (79 F) or higher. In this area, Americans could definitely take a lesson in restraint from the Taiwanese.