The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed amendments to the law governing recycling, its most significant overhaul in more than two decades, expanding regulatory oversight to cover the entire life cycle of products.
The passage of the third reading of the Resource Circulation Promotion Act (資源循環推動法) symbolizes Taiwan’s resolve to adopt a circular economy and heralds Taiwan’s official transition from “waste management” to recycling, the Ministry of Environment said.
Renamed from the Resource Recycling Act (資源回收再利用法), the amendment would expand the law’s scope to oversee products from design to production, use and recycling, providing the opportunity to consider new laws under a regulatory “sandbox.”
Photo: Chang Tsung-chiu, Taipei Times
The amendment has changed mentions of recycling to “circularity,” and the government is to meet with competent authorities overseeing state businesses to discuss implementation of a national circularity plan, which would be announced after Executive Yuan approval.
The meeting should be held every five years, according to the amendments.
The amendments were the most significant since the act’s promulgation in 2002, the ministry said.
They have introduced environmental sustainability measures, allowing the government to designate certain products and constructions to use materials that are easy to dismantle, from a single source or to require that constructions use materials with a certain percentage of recycled content.
Businesses would be asked to adopt measures that would reduce their dependence on natural resources, the amendments say.
The ministry said new signage would be adopted for materials to be recirculated, and products should carry information that allows consumers to know the percentage, durability, repairability and how to circulate them, allowing consumers to choose circulated goods.
The amendments say that, to implement a circular economy, public offices should prioritize purchasing circulated goods, and businesses investing in circularity, circular sustainability, talent development or purchasing equipment aligned with these concepts should be eligible for tax deductions.
Businesses involved in implementing the concept should be given priority for financing or credit guarantees, the amendments say.
Businesses that seek to prevent, evade or deny inspections, refuse to provide information when asked for, or who have violated regulations regarding removal or storage of products, or regulations on how the facilities should be used, or have contravened licensing laws, could be fined between NT$12,000 and NT$150,000, the amendments say.
Failing to fix the issue or comply within the grace period, would result in fines. In severe cases, the violator could face suspension from one month to one year.Except for Article 14 and Paragraph 1, Article 38, which are to be executed two years after the date of announcement, the remainder of the law is to enter into effect immediately.
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