Engaged Attendees

Process of the Exchange Activity

   “Mom, there are plastic bottles here!” “Dad, why are there so many bottle caps here?” These colorful plastic bottles and bottle caps are common items in our daily lives. This time, they appear in the 2023 Nantou Lantern Festival's Eco-Sustainable Lantern Area, attracting the attention of many children and adults.

   The 2023 Nantou Lantern Festival concluded successfully on the Lantern Festival day, February 5th, with a 23-day exhibition period that attracted nearly 5 million people from various places. The Environmental Protection Bureau (EPB) established a special Eco-Sustainable Lantern Area, emphasizing the creative use of recycled materials and their characteristics, as well as post-processing of recycled products. Everyday waste materials were utilized in the creation of this lantern area, and many visitors paused to admire and discuss the materials used in the lanterns.

   In order to achieve sustainability and recycling, on the final day, the potted plants in the lantern area were given to attendees in exchange for batteries. Plants have the benefit of cooling and purifying indoor air. In the “Love the Earth with Plants” lantern area, an infinite symbol of the circular economy was created using pallets as the main structural element. The display's walls, seating areas, and plant arrangements were integrated. Furthermore, locally grown flowers from Nantou's farmers, including Manuka, Ceylon Myrtle, and Mums, were used to enhance the green and decorative elements of the area.

   After the exhibition period, with the hope of spreading the beauty of Nantou's native plants to a wider audience, the EPB organized a special event on the final day of the lantern festival, February 5th, at 7:00 PM. They offered a one-to-one exchange, where one used battery could be traded for one potted plant from the lantern area. Each person was allowed to exchange for up to five potted plants. There were a total of 1,000 potted plants available that day, and due to the enthusiastic participation of the public, the exchange event was completed rapidly within just one and a half hours. The weight of the batteries exchanged amounted to 24 kilograms.

   EPB Director-general Yi-shu Li personally handed over the potted plants to the individuals exchanging them and provided guidance on how to care for the plants. He emphasized the importance of taking good care of the plants and urged the public to pass on the concept of sustainability. Director-general Li stated that through the display of the Eco-Sustainable Lantern Area, waste materials were given a new lease on life through recycling and sustainability. He also expressed his hope that the exchange activity would encourage more environmentally conscious individuals to care for the plants featured in the lantern area, green their own homes, and spread the seeds of resource recycling even further.

   Advertisement by the EPB, Nantou County Government