Condemning environmental pollution
A Taiwanese couple took an unconventional photo of their wedding, showing the groom wearing his formal suit and the bride in her white dress, exchanging a kiss in front of a garbage dump, in a move that expresses the bride’s concern about environmental pollution, and her hope that her guests will refrain from producing unnecessary waste.
At their wedding scheduled for next January, Greenpeace activist Iris Hsueh and her fiancé asked their guests to bring their own containers to remove leftover food.
The duo decided to express their opinion through images rather than words, as they considered this to be a more effective means of communication. Iris and her fiancé, who live in Taipei, traveled a distance of three hours to take a photo in the town of Puli (central), where the amounts of waste transported to the local landfill continue to accumulate over the years.
The 33-year-old told Agence France-Presse: “If one of the guests does not want to bring a container, I will show him the picture and ask him to reconsider his decision,” noting that the pictures attracted the attention of local media.
Taiwan, an autonomous island nation with a population of 23 million, has had a recycling program since 1987. More than 50% of household waste is processed under this program, one of the highest rates in the world.
But the head of the sanitation team at Poly Chin Chun Hong noted that the amount of waste thrown away has increased significantly, rising from about 20 tons per day during the 1980s to about 50 tons per day.
"The population is decreasing, but the amount of waste is increasing annually," he told AFP.
The Bole landfill was essentially a waste truck stop and was supposed to be used “temporarily” as a waste collection site, according to Chen, but it has been approved for this purpose for three years.
Two years ago, the dump was very high (as high as a five or six-story building) and the smell emanating from it was worse than it is today. Chen says: “Working in his surroundings has become unbearable,” considering that the duo’s move is “of great importance.”
He adds, "The younger generation is very creative compared to us, the older ones."
Since their photos went viral, Hsueh says her friends and those close to her promised to rethink the amount of waste they produce in their daily lives.
As for the wedding day, the bride says, smilingly, “I hope to see everyone carrying their containers.”