Taipei is to introduce a new ban at the beginning of next year that forbids the sale of plastic shopping bags at hypermarkets, supermarkets and convenience stores.
Taipei Department of Environmental Protection Deputy Commissioner Lu Shih-chang (盧世昌) announced the plan at a news conference yesterday.
As of next year, the three types of stores would not be allowed to provide or sell plastic bags, Lu said.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection
However, hypermarkets, supermarkets and convenience stores would be allowed to sell “dual-purpose bags” that function both as shopping and waste disposal bags, Lu said.
The bags are to come in three different sizes — a 3 liter bag costing NT$1, a 6 liter bag costing NT$2 and a 14 liter bag costing NT$5 — and city residents are to be allowed to use them to dispose of burnable waste.
Taipei currently requires residents to store and dispose of their non-recyclable waste in certified trash bags that have to be purchased, a policy that also aimed to reduce the use of plastic bags.
The ban is in response to the need to cut down on the use of plastic, Lu said citing UN data forecasting that the world’s oceans would contain more plastic than fish by 2050 unless people stop using single-use plastic items.
Taiwan uses 18 billion plastic bags each year, or an average of 782 bags per person, he said.
The newly announced ban on the sale of plastic bags comes in addition to an expanded ban on free plastic bags at 14 types of businesses — government agencies, private schools, department stores, hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores, fast food restaurants, pharmacies, medical equipment stores, book and stationery stores, laundries, beverage stores, bakeries and computer, consumer electronics and communications product retailers — that is also set to take effect on Jan. 1.
Those found to be contravening the ban would first be given a warning and then fined between NT$1,200 and NT$6,000 for any subsequent violations.
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