TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Yunlin County's Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) is encouraging residents to seek environmentally friendly alternatives to burning "ghost money" during the Ghost Festival (鬼節 or 中元節) on Wednesday (Aug. 30).

As a festival tradition, businesses, restaurants, offices, and families purchase and then burn stacks of "ghost money." The practice creates environmental pollution, as burning 1 kg of paper money produces 1.5 kg of carbon dioxide and releases carbon monoxide, benzene, toluene, dust, and other air pollutants into the atmosphere, according to Yunlin EPA Deputy Director Huang Fu-yi (黃富義), per Liberty Times.

The EPA advised that "ghost money" be entrusted to the municipal government for centralized collection and incineration. The agency encouraged all organizations hosting large-scale ceremonies to register for free pick-up, transportation, and processing of "ghost money" in incinerators rather than burning it themselves.

This way is less environmentally harmful and safer to dispose of, the agency noted. Other municipal governments in Taiwan are offering a similar service.

Yunlin's EPA also suggested skipping the practice of purchasing "ghost money" altogether and instead purchasing "merit money," which benefits local disadvantaged groups. Since 2020, the agency has worked with four major convenience store chains to offer this service to the public.

Merit money donations received by Yunlin County Government have been designated to support the Genesis Social Welfare Foundation and the Little Angel Foundation. To date, 442 donations have been collected, totaling NT$253,000 (US$7,920).