Tzu Chi Foundation Environmental Protection Fact Sheet 

“The myriad disasters on Earth are caused by humanity’s greed and selfish desires. To cherish and protect the earth, we must purify our hearts and reach out to care for those around us.”  - Venerable Cheng Yen 

The Natural World

Nature is crying out for help. Industrial advancement is rapidly degrading the planet’s ecosystems, while air and water pollution are endangering the lives of all living beings. Changes in the climate that we have greatly contributed to are exacerbating floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters in many areas of the world. These events are serious warnings and we must pay attention to them.  

“Use your applauding hands to protect the environment.”

Environmental protection and preservation is of the utmost importance, and the task begins [can begin?] with each individual. In August 1990, the Venerable Cheng Yen began a series of public stadium lectures. As the audience applauded at the end of her lectures, she told them to “Use your applauding hands to protect the environment.” She spoke of sorting garbage and recycling, of cherishing our natural resources. A young woman in the audience was so moved that she immediately took action. She began recycling and urged her neighbors to follow her lead. She asked them to sort paper, in order to recycle as many different types as possible. She donated the funds she collected from recycling to Tzu Chi’s charitable efforts. This cycle of “turning garbage to gold and gold into love” has inspired many people in communities across the globe.

 “Tzu Chi volunteers come from all walks of life, but they share the same love and commitment for those around them.”

Tzu Chi’s innovative neighborhood recycling program began in Taiwan and has spread to all chapters of Tzu Chi around the world. Today, in Taiwan alone, Tzu Chi currently operates more than 4,500 environmental protection (EP) stations, which are entirely run by over 200,000 EP volunteers, of whom 57,097 are certified Tzu Chi commissioners. The youngest Tzu Chi EP volunteer is 3 years old; the oldest is 103. 

Achievements in Recycling

• From 1992 to 2006, volunteers in Taiwan recycled 7.01*10^8 kg and 14,020,000 trees. In total, it has saved the equivalent area of 2294 soccer fields of trees. (can we do hectares of forest?)
• In 2006 in Taiwan alone, Tzu Chi recycled:

A Clear, Pure Cycle

The efforts of its volunteers not only help sustain neighborhood recycling programs, their success has also inspired Tzu Chi volunteers all over the globe to take part and educate others. In Taiwan, for example, the earnings from the recycling program contribute to Tzu Chi’s Da Ai TV (Great Love TV) station, a channel of virtuous family television programming. In Malaysia, Tzu Chi’s recycling program funds a kidney dialysis center. 

“Tzu Chi both cherishes the earth and saves lives.”

Since November 2006, 26,700 blankets have been made from more than 2,670,000 recycled bottles. In the first batch of 6,700 completed blankets (160 cm x 230 cm), 4,000 were sent to a slum area that Tzu Chi Philippines has been caring for, after fires swept the area in April 2007. In the second batch completed two months later, 20,000 blankets (180 cm x 230 cm) were sent to the United States, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines as relief supplies.  

Sustainable and “Green” Design

Besides calling for waste reduction and recycling, the organization's construction projects are also of the "green" variety. After the 9/21/1999 earthquake shook Taiwan, hundreds of schools were damaged or destroyed. In response, Tzu Chi established a project to rebuild 51 of those schools. Each reconstructed school is a green building, with designs that maximize natural lighting and ventilation, preserve open space, and include features such as rainwater reclamation. Tzu Chi hospitals around Taiwan as well as Tzu Chi’s “complete, comprehensive, and holistic” educational system from pre-school to university have earned numerous awards for their environmental protection efforts and sustainable design. 

Key Dates in History

• April, 2007: Tzu Chi earns an American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) award for the Ninth District, 9^th Annual Environmental Awards.
• March, 2007: Tzu Chi University earns “Clean Home Citizen’s Movement” and is the only university that receives this award in Taiwan.
• Nov, 2006: Tzu Chi Hospital in Hualien earns the Taiwan Environmental Protection Agency’s “2006 Excellence in Renewables and Recyclables” award
• June, 2005: World Environment Day held in San Francisco, USA. Tzu Chi USA gives a speech in the opening ceremony and shares Tzu Chi’s EP experiences with other participants, including several hundred mayors of various cities around the world
• July, 2004: Tzu Chi Hospital in Dalin earns the “2004 Excellence in Renewables and Recyclables” award
• Sept, 2004: Tzu Chi College of Technology earns the “2004 Award for Campus Promotion of Environmental Protection”
• Nov, 2004: Tzu Chi Hospital in Dalin earns the “Excellence in Energy Savings” award from the Ministry of Commerce.
• Dec, 2004: Tzu Chi Hospital in Dalin earns the “National Medical Award for Excellence in Waste Disposal, Reduction, and Recycling” by the Department of Health; Tzu Chi High School earns the “2004 Environmental Award”
• Sept, 2003: Tzu Chi (elementary school? “A Tzu Chi elementary school”?) wins the “Water Conservation Award” from the Water Resources Department.
• Oct, 2003: Tzu Chi College of Technology earns the “2003 Excellence in Energy Savings Award” by the Ministry of Commerce.
• Nov, 2003: Malaysia’s Earth Day, Tzu Chi earns “Award for Supporting National Environmental Protection Plan” along with 3 other organizations.
• Nov, 2002: Tzu Chi Medical Center in Hualien earns an award of excellence in energy savings by the Ministry of Commerce, the only hospital to earn such an award
• July, 2001: Tzu Chi Malaysia earns the “Special Environment Award” and is nominated for the “Best Friend of the Environment” award
• Nov, 2001: Tzu Chi Malaysia volunteers earn the national “Excellence in paper recyclables” award