𝗧𝗮𝗶𝘄𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝘀, 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀

Taiwan has decided to revise its plastic reduction rules, setting new targets that scale back reliance on outright bans and place greater emphasis on economic incentives and circular economy measures.

In 2018, the island pledged to completely phase out four major single-use plastic items, such as straws, beverage cups, shopping bags and disposable tableware, by 2030, with full restrictions to be in place by 2025, but officials have now acknowledged that those goals will not be met.

The Ministry of Environment said last week that it would instead aim to cut the use of single-use petrochemical plastic products by 5 per cent by 2030 and 10 per cent by 2035, using 2024 as a baseline. The revised framework expands regulation to six categories by adding retail packaging and e-commerce packaging to the original four items.

Environment minister Peng Chi-ming said the government had made efforts over the past seven years but was unable to reach the earlier targets, citing changes in consumer behaviour after the Covid-19 pandemic. While some progress had been achieved, he said, demand for single-use paper containers and packaging linked to online shopping continued to grow.

Rather than relying on what he described as a “restrictions-only” approach, Peng said the new strategy would introduce economic incentives and prioritise action across six key settings, including government agencies, large companies, retailers, public venues, markets and wholesale outlets.

Taiwan produces a large and growing amount of plastic waste, with total discarded plastic in 2023 reaching about 2.54 million tonnes, of which roughly 1.09 million tonnes were recycled and about 1.41 million tonnes were incinerated.

Despite having one of the world’s most developed recycling systems, consumption of single-use items remains high. The average Taiwanese person uses around 700 plastic bags a year and billions of single-use cups are consumed annually, and the share of plastics in overall municipal waste has been rising in recent years.

Benchmarking EU trends

The revised policy draws on European Union trends and places stronger emphasis on reuse and recycling systems, according to the ministry.

Discounts for customers who bring their own cups for takeaway drinks will continue, and from this year will apply across Taiwan’s five offshore island counties, regardless of whether beverage outlets are part of national chains.

The ministry is also expanding circular cup rental and return systems at tourist attractions and sports venues, & encouraging major corporations to join shared cup washing and logistics networks.

source : Eco Business

#Polymers #CircularEconomy #Taiwan