《TAIPEI TIMES》Annual plastic bag use halved: ministry

Staff writer, with CNA

The use of plastic shopping bags nationwide last year dropped by more than half since regulations restricting the use of plastic products were established in 2002, the Ministry of Environment said on Sunday.

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Taiwan used 9 billion plastic shopping bags last year, down from 20 billion in 2002, ministry data showed.

Minister of Environment Shieu Fuh-sheng （薛富盛） said that the government plans to further reduce plastic consumption, after restricting the use of plastic bags at 14 kinds of institutions, including the public sector, private schools, shopping malls, hypermarkets, convenience stores chains, fast-food restaurant chains, beverage stores and bakeries.

The ministry plans to expand the range of restricted locations in a bid reduce plastic production by 2030, Shieu said.

However, he added that while plastic reduction is facing a bottleneck, the government has no choice but to improve its policies in the near future.

The UN is set to announce a plastics treaty at the end of this year, and even if further restrictions would adversely affect Taiwanese businesses and daily life, Taiwan would have to follow in the world’s footsteps as a responsible global citizen, he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Taipei Mayor Lee Shu-chuan （李四川） said that 75 percent of Taipei’s carbon emissions come from electricity consumption, 20 percent from transportation and 5 percent from garbage incineration.

The city government budgets NT$200 million （US$6.13 million） for environmental, social and governance efforts, which each department uses to implement programs such as the Carbon Reduction Passbook for registered EasyCard users, he said.

The Ministry of Environment, formerly the Environmental Protection Administration, in 2018 announced a plan to ban the use of plastic bags, cups, straws and tableware by 2030.

It de-emphasized that goal in August last year.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES