Premier Yu Shyi-kun said yesterday that restricting the free distribution of plastic bags and other plastic disposable utensils is a policy that can be reviewed, but will not be scrapped, despite the protests by plastic-bag manufacturers.
Speaking to the Cabinet at a New Year's gathering, the premier stressed that the policy would improve the nation's environment and sustain its development, although the public may find the new program a bit inconvenient in the beginning.
Yu said that the public may not initially get used to going without plastic bags, but it is a policy that is "absolutely in the right and necessary direction," and the government "can review, but will not reverse" the policy.
Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), administrator of the EPA, also said that, during the first day of the program on Wednesday, stores generally said that they were prepared for the changes and would be in compliance by the end of the grace period -- which ends on Feb. 16.
The EPA started the second round of its plan to phase out plastic bags Wednesday, requiring shopping malls, eateries and franchise convenience stores to stop providing free plastic bags to consumers.
EPA officials began a nationwide check on the implementation of the policy and were generally satisfied with the results.
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