The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday launched an inspection of restaurants, eateries and food stalls in Taipei to coincide with the enactment of a nationwide management system for waste cooking oil recyclers. As of yesterday, no illegal operations had been found.
The new system requires waste cooking oil recyclers to obtain a work permit issued by the local environmental protection agency, by becoming an employee at a registered waste removal company, or setting up a company and registering it with the local government.
The inspection in Taipei, which targeted 540 establishments, found that none of the 299 businesses inspected were violating the new rules and that they were handing waste oil to licensed recyclers.
Taipei City Government Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Liou Ming-lone (劉銘龍) said that with effect from the beginning of the year, waste cooking oil recyclers must wear work permits and have permits for their vehicles before they can start working. Those who are found in violation of the rules face a fine of between NT$60,000 and NT$300,000, he said.
Businesses which are found handing waste cooking oil to unlicensed recyclers risk being fined between NT$1,200 and NT$6,000.
Meanwhile, an inspection in New Taipei City where recyclers were rounded up in the food court of a department store 15 minutes before Environmental Protection Administration Minister Wei Kuo-yen’s (魏國彥) arrival drew criticism that the operation had been prearranged and that it was ineffective in resolving the issue of waste cooking oil management.
Some recyclers complained to Wei that the new mechanism was implemented too hastily and that they did not have enough time to apply for the permits.
In response, Wei said that the ongoing inspections are meant to “advise” recyclers and that the administration would continue to “encourage and guide” them during the application process.
Wei said the administration would start enforcing penalties after the Lunar New Year holiday, even though Department of Waste Management Interim Director-General Lai Ying-ying (賴瑩瑩) has repeatedly said since October last year that fines would be levied from the start of this year.
The minister said that to help people tell licensed workers from illegal ones, each work permit comprises three authentication tools — a watermark, a stamp and a quick response (QR) code — which can be scanned with a smartphone to direct users to a Web page containing the individual’s work permit number, their affiliated company and its telephone number.
He said the agency is about to complete an experiment on tracking the destination of all waste oil, adding that the results would be announced before the Lunar New Year holiday next month.
Additional reporting by Tsai Ying
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