Food packaging containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) would be banned from Nov. 1 next year, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said yesterday.
Taiwan Watch Institute
secretary-general Herlin Hsieh (謝和霖) applauded the move, but said that the policy should be more ambitious and ban all containers using PVC.
Photo courtesy of the Environmental Protection Administration
PVC packaging might release plasticizers when used to store liquids, he said, adding that vinyl chloride — which is associated with an increased risk of liver cancer — might be released during the production of the widely used synthetic plastic polymer.
Construction materials are the main area in which PVC is used, and wooden furniture is often coated with the material, he said.
However, 25 to 40 percent of PVC containers and bags produced in the past three years have come into contact with food, Hsieh said.
When burned, PVC containers release dioxins and heavy metals that are added during production as stabilizers, he said.
While incinerators use filters to catch these materials, contaminated ashes from PVC containers might still leach into the ground from landfills, he said.
The use of PVC products for storing food could lead to PVC ingestion, Hsieh said.
Toys that contain the material might also be accidentally swallowed by children, he added.
A Japanese study showed that when lunchboxes are prepared by a person wearing gloves containing PVC, residues from the material might contaminate the food, he said.
The EPA should require businesses to add a specific label to PVC products, instead of labeling them more generally as containing plastics, Hsieh said.
The PVC content of a product should also be considered during recycling, according to the difficulty in extracting the material, Hsieh said.
The EPA has raised processing fees to NT$87 per kilogram to deter packaging manufacturers from using PVC, which has proved effective, EPA Recycling Fund Deputy Secretary-General Wei Wen-yi (魏文宜) said.
The agency would work toward realizing a PVC-free environment, as this is in the interest of the public, Wei said.
‘UNFRIENDLY’: Changing the nationality listing of Taiwanese residents to ‘China’ goes against EU foreign policy as well as democratic and human rights principles, MOFA said Taiwan yesterday called on Denmark to correct its designation of the nationality of Taiwanese residents as “China” or face retaliatory measures. The Danish government in 2024 changed the nationality of Taiwanese citizens on their residence permits from “Taiwan” to “China.” The decision goes against EU foreign policy and contravenes democratic and human rights principles, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said. Denmark should present a solution acceptable to Taiwan as soon as possible and correct the erroneous designation to preserve the longstanding friendship between the two nations, Hsiao said. The issue could damage Denmark’s image and business reputation in Taiwan,
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
SOUTH KOREA DISPUTE: If Seoul continues to ignore its request, Taiwan would change South Korea’s designation on its arrival cards, the foreign ministry said If South Korea does not reply appropriately to a request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, the government would take corresponding measures to change how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. Taipei has asked Seoul to change the wording. Since March 1, South Koreans who hold government-issued Alien Resident Certificates (ARC) have been identified as from “South Korea” rather than the “Republic of Korea,” the
SUFFICIENT: The president said Taiwan has enough oil for next month, with reserves covering more than 100 days and natural gas enough for 12 to 14 days A restart plan for the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里) and the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春) would be submitted to the Nuclear Safety Commission by the end of the month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, reversing the government’s policy to abolish nuclear energy. On May 17 last year, Taiwan shut down its last nuclear reactor and became the first non-nuclear nation in East Asia, fulfilling the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government’s pledge of a “nuclear-free homeland.” Even without nuclear power, Taiwan can maintain a stable electricity supply until 2032,
RSS