The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) on Tuesday announced that starting in June it would implement a policy to promote the use of water-soluble toilet paper and, in tandem with the policy, would mandate that all public restrooms nationwide provide such toilet paper by June.
The habit of disposing used toilet paper in trash bins has led to issues of foul odors and the creation of potential hotbeds for the growth of flies and mosquitoes, Environmental Protection Administration Minister Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) said.
During the SARS outbreak in 2003, public restrooms were considered one source of contagion, Lee said, adding that other nations have over recent years implemented policies requiring the disposal of toilet paper in toilets.
Photo: Yang Mien-chieh, Taipei Times
Toilet paper is made of short fibers, which have proven to be water-soluble, he said, adding that as long as people do not dispose of other waste, there would be no problems with toilets clogging.
Taiwan Paper Industry Association chairman Hsu Chih-hung (徐志宏) endorsed the policy, saying the association would try to make identification of water-soluble toilet paper more noticeable on packaging.
The association is also to swap out all facial tissues in vending machines with water-soluble toilet paper, Hsu added.
The administration also launched a design contest for the logo to be placed in public restrooms encouraging people to dispose of toilet paper in toilets.
Participants are limited to students at the high-school level and above, as well as the general public, the agency said, adding that the winner would receive a prize of NT$50,000.
Promotion of the policy is not expected to incur additional costs to the public, the administration said, adding that it would also list the provision of water-soluble toilet paper as a criterion when evaluating environmental sanitation.
Failure to meet such standards, such as harming environmental hygiene by misplacing waste toilet paper, could result in fines of NT$1,200 to NT$6,000 as stipulated by the Waste Disposal Act (廢棄物清理法), it said.
The administration said it would work with the Tourism Bureau, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and manufacturers and distributors of bathroom equipment and toilet paper to help implement the policy.
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