《TAIPEI TIMES》 Taipei expands its reusable cup program

By Tsai Ya-hua and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Taipei’s free reusable cup service has been expanded to include more kiosks in the Gongguan （公館） area and near Taipei Railway Station, although officials said that service would be suspended for a member if they do not return a cup within three days.

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In a bid to phase out single-use cups, the city has over the past few months trialed a cup-sharing program, inspired by Taipei’s successful YouBike system.

People in need of a cup can obtain one for free from a kiosk or participating business then return it at such places throughout the city.

So far, only one automated kiosk has been installed, at Taipei First Girls’ High School, although 58 more are to open in two popular business districts, the city government said on Tuesday.

The Gongguan commercial area in Zhongzheng District （中正） is to have 25 kiosks at McDonald’s, 7-Eleven and Comebuy locations, while 33 are to be set up in the commercial district in front of Taipei Railway Station, Taipei Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Liou Ming-lone （劉銘龍） said.

To borrow from a kiosk, people must first register their phone number on the Good Container （好盒器） app or Line account, then select “rental kiosk” to receive a QR code to scan, Liou said.

If borrowing a cup from a participating store, they should select “store rental” and scan the QR code on the cup, he said.

For kiosk returns, scan the cup’s QR code before dropping it into the machine, he said.

If returning a cup at a business, the clerk should be able to provide assistance, the city said.

All returned cups would be cleaned and sterilized, and would be inspected each month to ensure cleanliness and quality, the department said.

More than one cup can be rented at a time, although failure to return one within three days would result in a temporary suspension of service until it is returned, it said.

If a member has not returned more than six cups at one time, their service would be suspended indefinitely, it said, adding that 99 percent of rented cups have so far been returned.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES