EPA to press ahead with ban on bags

Environmental Protection Admin-istrator Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) vowed yesterday to stick to his schedule to limit the use of plastic bags and utensils, despite a demonstration last week against the move by thousands of plastics industry workers.

"If the policy does not reduce the amount of household waste after being implemented, I'll step down to shoulder responsibility," Hau said after receiving strong support from the DPP legislative caucus.

The first stage of the policy was launched on July 1, when government-run stores were banned from providing free plastic shopping bags to customers. Three months later, the ban on disposable utensils and food containers was imposed at government-operated grocery stores and restaurants.

The second stage of the policy will begin on Jan. 1. Places affected will include department stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, fast-food restaurants and almost every type of retailer, except street vendors.

Last Tuesday, thousands of plastics industry workers demonstrated in Taipei against the policy they claim has violated their right to work.

Protesters said that since July, the policy has resulted in more than 1,000 job losses and that the implementation of the second stage of the program would lead to the loss of 50,000 jobs.

While the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) plans to press ahead, opposition lawmakers, including some from the DPP's pan-green ally, are lining up to block the move.

On Sunday, TSU legislators said a five-year delay was necessary to reduce the impact of the change.

Opposition legislators said the Cabinet was demonstrating a disregard for the nation's high unemployment rate.

"Hau promotes that policy to create a positive image despite the priority for the DPP-led central government to lower the unemployment rate," TSU legislative caucus convener Liao Ben-yan (廖本煙) said.

Today, TSU legislators are expected to raise the party's plan to delay the measures at a cross-party assembly meeting.

DPP caucus convener Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said yesterday that DPP legislators will do their best to support the EPA.

Ker said most of the party's legislators support the policy after listening to Hau's explanation.

Hau said that the Cabinet would spend about NT$1.58 billion on creating about 8,400 jobs for affected plastics industry workers next year.

EPA officials said the policy would only affect half of the 10,000 workers at 450 factories producing plastic shopping bags and 29 manufacturers of disposable utensils.

Officials said that both the EPA and the Council of Labor Affairs will spend NT$383.4 million next year on creating 4,260 jobs in utensil-washing or other industries for those who lost their jobs at plastics firms.

In addition, EPA officials said, NT$1.2 billion will be used next year on providing 4,140 laid-off plastics industry workers with environment-related jobs, such as cleaning streets and tourist sites and collecting recyclable materials.

Some DPP lawmakers, including Peter Lin (林進興) and Wang Sing-nan (王幸男), are still concerned about the EPA's plan.

DPP Legislator Eugene Jao (趙永清) said details of the plan still need to be worked out.

Environmentalists said the EPA should have banned the use of all materials containing PVC, which produces dioxin during combustion.