A new regulation barring single-use toiletries in hotel rooms could eliminate the use of 460 million small, single-use bottles per year, a reduction of 2,100 tonnes of waste, Ministry of Environment Resource Circulation Administration Director-General Lai Ying-ying (賴瑩瑩) said yesterday.
On Jan. 1, new regulations came into effect barring hotels and homestays from providing free single-use toiletries, such as toothbrushes, razors and miniature shampoo bottles, drawing complaints from the public and the tourism industry.
In an exclusive interview with the Liberty Times (the sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday, Lai said hotel guests rarely use the free amenities, which are then discarded by staff after checkout.
Photo: Wu Po-hsuan, Taipei Times
Tourists can still request items from the hotel front desk or bring their own toiletries, she said, adding that such schemes are already in effect in South Korea, Japan and European countries.
Surveys conducted by the ministry in January and last month showed that 70 percent of the public support the policy, and almost 90 percent were willing to bring their own toiletries.
The ministry said it has opened a portal on its Web site from Tuesday to Aug. 31 to welcome the public and businesses to submit any complaints or suggestions regarding its initiatives to reduce single-use products to be used in future policy making.
Moreover, a revised version of Taiwan’s “milestones in the reduction of single-use products in Taiwan” is expected to be released by the end of the year, focusing on reducing six major types of single-use products, Lai said.
The scheme would phase out or reduce the use of plastic bags, disposable cutlery and cups, straws, and two newly included items: packaging for retail and e-commerce goods, she said.
A pilot program promoting the rental of reusable bags is to be launched at the Jianguo Flower Market in Taipei’s Daan District (大安) next month or in September, she added.
The bags have been specifically designed in a long shape to carry flowers, which customers could rent on-site and return during their next visit to the market, she said.
The ministry also has plans to revise the Resource Recycling Act (資源回收再利用法) and rename it the “resource circulation promotion act” (資源循環推動法).
The amendments would promote sustainable manufacturing, and reduce waste and material consumption, Lai said.
The Waste Disposal Act (廢棄物清理法) would also be amended, with illegal dumping having become a common occurrence in recent years, polluting the environment and affecting compliant businesses, she said.
The revisions would include increasing penalties, enhancing technological prevention through the use of geo-fencing and real-time alerts, and reinforcing joint liability, meaning that both landowners and companies renting land would be held responsible for proper waste management, she added.
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