More than 60 percent of people refuse to use store-provided reusable cups due to sanitary concerns, environmental advocacy group Re-think said yesterday.
A study it conducted showed that 42.8 percent of respondents were not likely to use the products as they have their own, Re-think said.
Others said they did not use the cups as they did not know how they were cleaned and whether they were heat resistant, the study showed.
Photo courtesy of Re-think
Tang Cheng (湯誠), who cofounded Blue Ocean Vision — a member of the Reusable Cup Alliance that was formed this month by Re-think, major chain convenience stores and restaurants — said that his company had invested NT$10 million (US$325,945) into creating a process to clean reusable cups.
All cups sent to the cleaning facility are categorized, soaked and washed at high temperature with high-pressure water jets before being dried and manually inspected, Tang said.
They are vacuum-sealed before being delivered to its partners, he said, adding that cups whose sealed packaging is torn are returned to the cleaning facility.
National Cheng Kung University Department of Environmental Engineering assistant professor Lin Hsin-tien (林心恬) said that reusable cups are meant to replace single-use cups under a circular economy.
However, most people are concerned about how “clean” the cups are, Lin said.
They are no different from utensils used when dining in, she said, adding that they are cleaned and disinfected following standard procedures.
If people can accept using utensils, plates and cups at restaurants, they should have no problem using reusable cups, she said.
Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Recyclable Resource Foundation Executive Secretary Lee Yi-hua (李宜樺) said that the EPA has established standard procedures for cleaning reusable cups and regulations describing what they can be made from.
In related news, schools participating in an EPA initiative to cut back on single-use utensils urged the agency to extend more support to restaurateurs, as costs have inflated food prices.
Trials to reduce single-use utensils and cut back on bottled water at government agencies and schools began in June last year and were adopted as formal policy in January.
More than 2,900 organizations participated in the trial period and reduced trash production by 22 tonnes over its duration, EPA Deputy Director Wang Ya-fen (王雅玢) said.
However, considering the costs being passed down to the consumer, National Yang Ming and Chiao Tung University Environmental Protection and Safety and Health Center director Ho Wen-yuan (何文淵) said that the government should subsidize the purchase of dishwashers for restaurant owners, which might increase their inclination to offer recyclable tableware.
The EPA hopes to encourage schools and government agencies to promote the use of reusable utensils, Lee said, adding that the EPA would continue to roll out incentives.
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