The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) yesterday proposed a ban on polystyrene foam single-use cups used in the food service industry.
Hsieh Ping-hui (謝炳輝), the executive secretary of the EPA Recycling Fund Management Board, told a news conference at the agency that the regulations would accelerate the phaseout of polystyrene foam in commercial venues nationwide.
The EPA in a statement said that the proposed ban is authorized under the Waste Disposal Act (廢棄物清理法).
Photo courtesy of Greenpeace Taiwan
Should the proposed regulations go into effect as planned, polystyrene foam cups would be banned at all beverage shops from July 1 next year, the agency said.
Consumers would be encouraged to use their own cups, with a mandatory NT$5 discount at chain beverage shops, fast-food restaurants and convenience stores, it said.
Fast-food restaurants and convenience store chains are required by 2023 to furnish consumers with personal reusable cups in 5 percent of their outlets and reduce polystyrene foam use by 15 percent, it said.
Chains that do not meet the targets are to submit a performance improvement plan to the EPA, it said.
County and city governments are encouraged to implement local bans on single-use plastics according to the patterns of plastic use in their jurisdictions, it said.
The utilization of polystyrene foam cups has persisted in central and southern Taiwan due mainly to a greater demand to keep beverages cold in the warmer regions, said Lien Yi-wei (連奕偉), who is a section chief at the fund.
The agency’s long-term goal is to eliminate single-use cups entirely, he added.
Additional reporting by CNA
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