Efforts to cut back on plastic waste shifted into a higher gear on January 1 with a measure restricting the use of plastic bags and plastic (including expanded polystyrene, i.e. "styrofoam") disposable eating utensils. This marks the second phase of implementation of a policy that was first introduced on a more limited scale last July, when the government clamped down on the use of such items by government agencies, membership supermarkets for military personnel, and public and private schools. The policy now covers over 60,000 establishments in six major segments of the retail industry: department stores, discount marts, supermarkets, chain convenience stores, fast food chains, and eating and drinking establishments with a storefront. Under the new regulations, these retailers are no longer allowed to provide customers with plastic bags less than 0.06 mm thick, and must charge customers the price of plastic bags measuring 0.06 mm or more in thickness.

The ban on plastic and styrofoam eating utensils covers things such as plastic containers used for serving prepared eats, drinks, and sauces, as well as plastic trays placed inside meal boxes for the purpose of holding food items. The ban does not cover plastic items holding food items when the food and container are wrapped in plastic film, packaged as a commercial product, and displayed on a store shelf.

There is a grace period for the new policy, from January 1 to February 15. From February 16 on, any of the above six types of retailers found violating regulations will be fined NT$60,000-300,000.

According to Hau Lung-pin, head of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), the new policy does not completely ban the use of plastic bags, but simply attempts to curb excessive use. People in Taiwan currently consume an average of 2.5 plastic bags per day, over double the figures for Europe and Japan. While acknowledging that a real solution to the problem of solid waste would require a reduction of the sources of waste, the EPA has chosen a "phased implementation, carefully targeted" approach in hopes of gradually encouraging people to carry reusable shopping bags with them all the time. The purpose of making it so that "plastic bags cannot be used for free," says Hau, is to get people out of the throw-away mentality.

The EPA expects the combined effect of phases one and two of the restricted-use policy to reduce annual consumption of plastic bags by 20,000 tons, with consumption of disposable plastic and styrofoam eating utensils dropping by 16,000 tons (down 31% and 37%, respectively).

Policy compliance is being monitored throughout Taiwan, and has been best in Taipei and Kaohsiung, where compliance rates are at 50-60% and up. For Taiwan as a whole, the compliance rate stands at roughly 35-40%. Among the six retail segments subject to the restrictions, compliance has been weakest among eating/drinking establishments with a storefront (such as breakfast shops and down-market eateries). Most such shops continue to use disposable plastic, saying that they have to use up what they've got in stock. In the meantime, some retailers complain that paper boxes and cups have gone up in price and often can't be had at any price. Such retailers have no choice but to continue using plastic.

According to a public opinion poll carried out by Gallup in mid-January, public awareness of the policy restricting the use of plastic bags is over 90%. Over 80% of respondents indicated support for the policy, while 53% said that they take their own shopping bags with them to the store.

Makers of plastic bags and disposable eating utensils have been hit hard by the new policy. Plastics industry representatives indicate that makers of plastic products have seen orders plunge by 30-50%, and most are running at half capacity. They further note that plastic goods manufacturing is a traditional industry that is short on equipment, capital, and managerial expertise. To stay in business, they need to make a transition to new lines of business, but such changes take time, and the sudden policy decision by the EPA has been too much of a shock for them. For that reason, they are asking for a five-year moratorium on implementation of the policy.

The EPA and the Council of Labor Affairs have proposed two measures to provide employment for people in the plastics industry who lose their jobs. The first is to help them find work in dishwashing businesses and other traditional industries, and the second is to subsidize local governments to hire unemployed persons for environmental conservation work. The Executive Yuan has earmarked NT$1.5 billion to provide job placement assistance to over 8,000 persons that it expects to lose their jobs as a result of the new policy.

To help plastic goods manufacturers to switch to other lines of business, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) is preparing to provide soft loans totaling NT$2.5 billion. Most small- and medium-sized plastic goods producers, however, are not registered with the MOEA, and are thus ineligible for the loans, a set of circumstances that has prompted the plastic goods industry to question the MOEA's sincerity.

The public has been largely supportive of the new policy, but it has been noted that there are also big problems with the paper products now being used as an alternative by many retail establishments. To cut costs, 90% of all makers of paper food containers in Taiwan print on the products with substandard ink. To spruce up their products and make them more resistant to wear and tear, many buyers ask paper-goods makers to coat their products with a thin plastic film, which makes the product unrecyclable. Such disregard for environmental concerns has to be eliminated. The EPA needs to persuade eating establishments to reduce waste by utilizing reusable eating utensils, and by using dishwashing equipment with a high-temperature sterilization function.

Environmental preservation is a very long-term undertaking. Restricting the use of plastic goods just happens to be one measure with a direct effect on our daily habits. To create a better living environment, Taiwan has a long way to go.

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With the implementation of restrictions on plastic bags, consumers are now required to provide their own shopping bags. This often causes people to think of all kinds of on-the-spot solutions when they forget to bring a bag. (photo by Hsueh Chi-kuang)