The Ministry of Environment has launched 350 green-packaged products in cooperation with major sales channel operators and consumer goods companies, with the aim of increasing the figure to 1,000 products within the next two years.
Products in supermarkets all require packaging, but overpackaging takes a toll on the environment, it said.
The ministry in the past few years has promoted reducing retail packaging, following the EU’s target of reducing packaging by 10 percent per capita by 2035.
Photo: CNA
The ministry has established a strategic alliance with supermarket or hypermarket channels, such as Prosperity Plaza, Uni-Prosperity and Mega PX Mart to promote the reduction of packaging for products such as food and beverages, cleaning supplies, and cosmetics, it said earlier this week.
Ten major consumer goods companies also took part: Kao Corp, Swire Coca-Cola, Lian Hwa Foods Corp, PX Mart Co, Wedison Enterprise Co, Heineken Taiwan Co, Unilever Taiwan, Uni-Prosperity Lifestyle Corp, Taiwan FamilyMart Co and Taiwan Homemakers United Consumers Co-op.
A total of 350 green-packaged products were launched across 61 product categories, the ministry said.
Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) said that product consumption would rise in volume as the economy expands.
However, that means that the volume of packaging waste would climb too, he said, adding that the key to waste disposal is upstream waste reduction.
The ministry would continue to encourage companies to create green packaging for their products based on the five green packaging design principles: lightweight, mono-material, regeneration, circulation and substitution, he said.
The goal is to boost the number of green-packaged products to 1,000, he said, adding that they would be incorporated into the ministry’s circular economy mark certification to help environmentally friendly products dominate the market.
The ministry’s Resource Circulation Administration said that Prosperity Plaza has used the “Start from i” sustainability label to help consumers identify plastics-reduction products.
PX Mart has set up a packaging-free shopping section for more than 350 products at its stores, it said.
Combined with lightweight packaging for fresh food and circular produce mesh bags, PX Mart’s packaging reduction effort reduced plastic use by more than 11 tonnes last year, it said.
Taiwan Homemakers United Consumers Co-op has introduced post-consumer recycled plastic packaging ranging from 30 percent to 100 percent for its store-brand products, it said.
To encourage public support for green-packaged products, people who buy such products at Prosperity Plaza stores nationwide before the end of next month can participate in a lucky draw, it said, referring the public to its Web site for detailed information and the list of raffle prizes.
Typhoon Champi is forecast to turn northward earlier than previously expected, sparing Taiwan a direct hit but still bringing heavy rain to the north of the country on Friday and Saturday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Typhoon Champi had strengthened and increased in size over the past 12 hours, and as of yesterday afternoon, was packing sustained winds of 198kph near its center, CWA forecaster Cheng Chieh-jen (鄭傑仁) said. However, due to the weakening of a Pacific high-pressure system the storm is now expected to turn northward earlier than initially forecast, likely around Japan’s Ishigaki Island, Cheng said. As Champi brushes
A sea warning for Typhoon Champi might be issued tonight, while the storm’s trajectory would determine whether a land warning is to be issued tomorrow night, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, Champi was about 1,536km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), packing maximum sustained winds of 198kph, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said. The storm was moving west-northwest at 23kph and was expected to strengthen over the next 24 hours before weakening slightly as it approaches cooler waters east of Taiwan, Tseng said. Champi is expected to turn north tomorrow, with the angle of the
DEFENSE PROCUREMENT: Taiwan could become the largest operator of V-BAT drones outside the US if the contract is finalized, the Ministry of National Defense said The navy and the coast guard reportedly plan to acquire 292 units of MQ-35A V-BAT vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) surveillance drones. The Navy said it would procure the drones through an open bidding process. If the contract is awarded and finalized, it would make Taiwan one of the largest buyers of the uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by the US-based defense technology company Shield AI. The Coast Guard Administration budgeted NT$1.2 billion (US$37.1 million) to buy 12 drones, which have been delivered, Shield AI said in a report on Oct 13. The navy is planning to spend NT$36 billion under
A patrol vessel donated by the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) to the Philippines would not be used in waters near Taiwan or areas where Taiwanese fishing vessels operate, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. The vessel, formerly the CGA's 500-tonne-class Kinmen (金門), was commissioned into the Philippine Coast Guard on Oct. 2. Speaking at the Legislative Yuan, Cho said the Philippines had pledged during the donation process that the vessel would be used only for designated missions and would not operate in waters related to Taiwan. The vessel could even provide assistance to Taiwan if needed, he added. Responding to questions from Chinese
RSS