The Hualien County Environmental Protection Bureau is encouraging restaurants to join its plastic-free initiative, saying that it has already certified 22 establishments as environmentally friendly.
As environmental awareness increases, people have been reducing use of single-use products, and some shops have also joined the movement by providing reusable cutlery, or giving discounts to customers who do not take disposable utensils with their takeout.
The bureau has for years urged restaurants and people to reduce use of disposable products.
Photo: Wang Chun-chi, Taipei Times
This year, it is urging businesses to join its plastic-free restaurant initiative, it said on Sunday.
The county government said it has released a list of 22 businesses that have been certified as plastic-free, urging more to apply.
Plastic products have become too convenient, and an excessive amount of plastic waste has led to pollution and has had catastrophic effects on marine life, bureau Deputy Commissioner Jao Jui-ling (饒瑞玲) said.
The bureau encourages stores to go plastic-free or reduce their use of plastic items by certifying businesses as environmentally friendly, Jao said.
To apply for certification, a restaurant must not provide single-use products of any material to customers dining in, she said.
They must also fulfill one of the following requirements: Provide reusable utensils for takeout and retrieve them to be washed and reused; choose eco-certified products when buying detergent or tissues; use local, organic ingredients and offer customized orders; give special offers to take-out customers who bring their own reusable utensils or bags; or use some other innovative form of plastic reduction, she said.
As many consumers value the environment, some might dine at restaurants that have the “plastic-free” certification, which could indirectly increase sales, she said.
A restaurant owner surnamed Chuang (莊) said that being certified has increased revenue by 10 to 20 percent.
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