It's one better than American ads for turning gold jewelry into cash: Taiwan plans to turn dog feces into gold -- bars. Winnings could equal more than a month's salary in the New Taipei City of northern Taiwan as it prompts canine owners to clean up after those canines. It's an incentive that's literally worth gold. And, this time, the dog poop doesn't have to be weighed.
Beginning August 1, 2011, both dog owners and residents alike in New Taipei City can hand over piles of dog waste to 'lucky' government workers -- swapping out dog crap for a chance to win a lottery of sorts. Dog feces equals a ticket for the random drawing where three amounts of gold are at stake: Three gold ingots will be given away in New Taipei, respectively worth T$60,000 (US $2,075), T$18,000 and T$12,000. The grand prize in gold well exceeds the average monthly salary of T$49,625 in the region of Taiwan.
The concept's definitely got more incentive than Arizona's bright idea to turn dog feces into green energy for literally creating light.
The New Taipei City Environmental Protection Department hopes for eager participation as gold prices rise. And participants don't even have to bring their own doggy-doo bags. Those will be provided in the Taiwan city, free of charge. For those who instead choose to participate in a different manner, by ratting out their fellow citizens instead of turning in canine fecal waste, there will be rewards for photographing dog owners who leave their canine's waste behind.
The Taiwan city's had an increasing problem with dog owners who don't pick up after their canines. And population sizes don't allow for alternate methods like a Florida HOA that uses DNA to identify canine owners who leave dog poop piles uncollected.
New Taipei City is hoping its latest run for riches will turn out much better -- and with far less ridicule -- than the last efforts to reduce dog waste on Taiwan streets. In 2009, the central city of Taichung gave away T$100 shopping vouchers in exchange for dog feces. It may have been the weigh-in factor that threw things over the edge: The project was met with ridicule, as dog poop was weighed per kg in exchange for those vouchers.