New regulations to curb the import of waste plastics and paper, under which violators can be fined up to NT$10 million (US$327,268), were announced yesterday by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) and are to take effect on Thursday.
After China implemented a ban on foreign waste imports in January, the amount of waste plastics entering Taiwan between January and July increased by 150,000 tonnes over the same period last year, while waste paper imports grew by 190,000 tonnes, EPA data showed yesterday.
While some industries can recycle waste plastics and paper into new products, the drastic increase in imports alarmed the agency.
Photo: CNA
After proposing the new rules to curb imports on Aug. 13, the EPA last month held a public hearing on the issue, and a revised version of the rules was released yesterday.
Licensed local firms will only be allowed to import waste plastics that originate in their own overseas production processes or those that are of a single material, but not from original production processes, the agency said.
Neither form of waste plastic can be mixed with different materials or contaminated with soil, it added.
The ban on soil pollution is to prevent the entry of foreign animal and plant diseases via waste wrappers produced by the agriculture sector, a suggestion made by environmentalists during the public hearing, EPA Department of Waste Management Director-General Lai Ying-ying (賴瑩瑩) said.
The only waste paper allowed to be imported are kraft paper, corrugated paper or cardboard that is not bleached, or deinked paper, the agency said, adding that only paper makers with legal licenses can import such materials.
“Import of waste newspaper and magazines will continue to be banned because such material is available in Taiwan and opening this sector would affect the already low prices of recycled paper,” Lai said.
Importers would be required to file reports about the flow of their waste, and the EPA and Customs Administration officials are to increase inspections of waste imports at ports, she added.
Importers who contravene the new rules will have to return all their imports to the source nations and could be fined from NT$60,000 to NT$10 million in line with the Waste Disposal Act (廢棄物清理法), the EPA said.
Local importers should not take the new rules lightly, it said.
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
Reports of Taiwanese going missing, being detained or interrogated, or having their personal liberties restricted in China increased about fourfold annually last year, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Last year, 221 Taiwanese who traveled to China were reported missing, were detained and interrogated, or otherwise had their personal freedom restricted, up from 55 the previous year, the council said. Reopening group tours to China would be risky, as it would leave travelers with no way to seek help through official channels after Beijing shut down dialogue between the associations tasked with handling cross-strait tourism, the MAC said. Taipei’s Taiwan Strait Tourism
SHIFT: Taiwan is evolving from a transit stop into a tourist destination, with more international travelers willing to spend on tours, dining and cultural activities Taiwan rose three places in the World Tourism Barometer to 36th globally in 2024, with international tourism revenue of US$10.028 billion, the Tourism Administration said on Monday. The UN Tourism Organization publication said that its focus has switched from whether a country has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels of tourism to the amount spent by a tourist during an overseas trip. The nation last year welcomed 8.57 million international tourists, about 9 percent more than in 2024, with most tourists coming from Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong and Macau, all of which accounted for at least 1 million tourists each. During the first
RSS