Reusable cup rentals have now made it to Green Island (綠島) and Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) in a bid to reduce plastic waste and its burden on the sensitive marine environments.
There are 1,200 reusable cups available for rental on the two outlying islands, the Taitung County Environmental Protection Bureau said on Sunday.
The initiative began at the end of last year, but uptake was limited due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel, it said.
Photo courtesy of Lynn Mo via CNA
However, more visitors began using the system over the Lunar New Year holiday, it added.
There are five automatic kiosks on Green Island and four on Orchid Island, where cups can be rented and returned.
Users need only scan a QR code and register their cup number to borrow a cup, which is professionally cleaned and sanitized before re-entering circulation.
To promote its initiative, the bureau invited travel writer Lynn Mo (黃小莫) to come and see for herself.
Mo, whose writing centers on environmental and ecological topics, said that borrowing can save not only a paper cup, but also the plastic cover and straw that come with it.
Stores also offer a discount to customers who bring their own cup in a win-win situation for visitors and the environment, she said.
Green Island also has a few dozen drinking fountains, which could eliminate the need for bottled water when paired with the rental cups, saving both money and waste, she added.
An owner of a drink shop said that they joined as soon as the initiative was announced to help protect the environment, as their family is involved in the tourism industry.
Visitors seem to be taking part, they said, referencing the many customers they have encountered using the cups.
The kiosks on Green Island are at Nanliao Harbor (南寮漁港), the airport, the township office, 7-Eleven and Ding Go.
There are also five locations where cups can be returned, but not rented — at the duty-free and hot spring stores, and three hotels.
On Orchid Island, cups can be rented and returned at Kaiyuan Harbor (開元漁港), the airport and two 7-Eleven stores, and can be returned at the township office.
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