Starting on July 1, stores selling takeout beverages would have to give customers who bring their own cup a discount of at least NT$5, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) is expected to announce today.
Last year, 2.2 billion disposable cups were used in Taiwan, which goes against the growing environmental protection trend, EPA Recycling Fund Management Board Executive Director Wang Yueh-bin (王嶽斌) said yesterday.
“Our focus has turned toward restricting the use of plastic. It is our hope that by mandating discounts for customers using their own cups, we can start to see change,” he said.
Photo: Lo Chi, Taipei Times
Aside from discounts, the EPA is also encouraging stores to make reusable cups available for customers to borrow. It hopes that by next year, 5 percent of a chain store’s outlets will have that service, with the figure rising to 10 percent by 2024 and to 30 percent by 2025, Wang said.
These measures are expected to reduce use of disposable cups by 15 percent next year, 18 percent next year and 25 percent in 2024, he said, adding that stores should post signage to inform customers about the discounts and availability of reusable cups.
The new policy is estimated to affect 50,000 stores nationwide, including beverage shops, convenience stores and fast-food restaurants, he said.
Meanwhile, the EPA had initially planned to ban polystyrene foam cups from July 1, and to authorize city and county governments to fully ban disposable cups of all materials from that date if they wished to do so, he said.
“However, after holding three seminars with beverage companies, manufacturers and environmental groups, we have changed the policy to require local governments to limit the use of disposable cups starting Dec. 31, 2024,” he said.
Industry operators have opposed an outright ban on polystyrene foam as it is said to be the best material for keeping drinks cold, and is therefore popularly used in southern Taiwan, he said.
“The industry needs more time. Therefore, we are treating polystyrene foam like other plastic, aiming to gradually reduce its use over time,” he said.
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