Greenpeace called on Taiwan’s government on Tuesday to release a detailed timeline showing how it plans to achieve its goal to phase out several types of single-use plastics by 2030.
At a press conference with Legislators Claire Wang (???) and Tsai Pi-ru (???), the environmental protection group said many people in Taiwan’s food and beverage industry supported plastic reduction efforts, but felt they were receiving insufficient support from the government.
According to the results of a survey conducted by the group in 2021, the main difficulties cited by business owners in this regard were the low proportion of customers who bring reusable containers, the lack of sanitation guidelines for shops that transition away from plastics, and inconsistent policy enforcement by the government, said Greenpeace project director Tang An (??).
Based on these responses, she said, Greenpeace had compiled a list of recommendations for the government, including issuing a detailed blueprint or timeline for achieving Taiwan’s plastic reduction goals and doing more to promote reusable containers in public.
The government should also consider imposing a surcharge on single-use plastics, and using the proceeds to launch a fund to help businesses transition away from plastic use, Tang said.
Wang, meanwhile, said she believed policy reforms could drive the way to widespread behavioral changes, noting that on a recent trip to Denmark, almost everyone carried reusable bags, in part because of the approximately NT$20 (US$0.67) cost of purchasing one in a store.
On July 1, Taiwan introduced a policy requiring most chain retailers selling take-out beverages to offer refunds of at least NT$5 to customers who bring reusable cups.
In 2018, Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration announced a goal to phase out single-use straws, cups, shopping bags, and eating utensils by 2030.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel