Due to Penghu County's excellent performance in the promotion of a new environmental policy that limits the use of plastic bags and dining utensils, the EPA will put the jurisdiction at the top of its subsidy list, EPA head Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said yesterday.
Yesterday morning, Hau inspected Penghu to see if affected stores had implemented the new policy.
Beginning Jan. 1, a ban on free plastic bags and utensils was extended from all government-run stores to department stores, supermarkets, fast-food restaurants, convenience stores and almost every type of retailer except street vendors. It is estimated that about 76,000 stores across the nation have been affected.
According to EPA statistics, all 384 affected stores in Penghu passed the inspection carried out early this month.
Officials of the county's Environmental Protection Department said yesterday that they are still carrying out a second inspection. So far, officials said, most stores are cooperating with the policy.
When visiting Penghu County Commissioner Lai Feng-wei (
For example, Hau said, funds needed by the county for building a new waste incinerator would be available soon.
Lai said that the county had put a lot of effort into promoting environmental protection related construction, such as restoring land surrounding landfills.
Hau later inspected some affected stores in Makung and felt satisfied.
"However, I still want to remind all affected retailers that beginning Feb. 16 a fine of NT$60,000 or more will be imposed on violators," Hau said.
Two weeks after the EPA launched the policy, Hau is confident of receiving the public's support. Last Sunday, when attending a forum held by the DPP, Hau said that the policy was obviously successful.
According to Hau, the implementation of the first stage of the policy led to a 98 percent reduction in the amount of plastic bags and utensils at affected government-run stores and restaurants.
The weight of plastic waste, Hau said, was reduced by 82 percent.
Last week, Hau inspected different cities and counties in northern and central Taiwan. He said at the forum that most violators are small shops.
In addition, Hau said, the EPA had dealt with disadvantages pertaining to the policy which had emerged since the implementation, including opposition from workers in the plastics industry and the price-hike of paper dinning utensils.
Although affected workers plan to demonstrate in Taipei on Sunday, Hau said, the policy would not be revised because it had been widely accepted by the public.
According to the EPA, thousands of workers in the plastics industry were affected by the new policy. Most of them live in Changhua and Tainan counties.
However, the EPA promised Cabinet-level spending of about NT$1.58 billion this year to create 8,400 jobs for laid-off plastics-industry workers.
In addition, EPA officials said that they had discussed with the Industrial Development Bureau, under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, to see if machines and tools left unused could be transferred to other industries for further use.
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