Taichung is to ban all single-use plastic cups at the city’s beverage shops and other retailers starting on Oct. 1, in an effort to comply with the Environmental Protection Administration’s plan to phase out such products by next year, the Taichung City Government said on Wednesday.
The ban — which applies to polylactic acid-based biodegradable containers — is expected to reduce the production of such cups by 106 million per year, the Taichung Environmental Protection Bureau said.
The bureau is planning to inform affected businesses about the ordinance so that they can advise customers and make other preparations, bureau Director-General Chen Hung-yi (陳宏益) said.
Photo courtesy of the Taichung City Government
Failure to comply with the ordinance could result in a fine of NT$1,200 to NT$6,000, Chen said, citing article 51 of the Waste Disposal Act (廢棄物清理法).
The city has about 5,000 venues that serve soft drinks, including beverage shops, convenience stores and fast food restaurants, 60 percent of which serve drinks in disposable plastic containers, Chen said.
Taichung residents should prepare multiple-use cups for personal use and minimize the utilization of disposable plastic items, he said, adding that reduction of plastic waste is the most effective when practiced at the source.
As an incentive to the public, consumers are to receive a discount of NT$5 or more per purchase when bringing their own cup to a beverage vendor, he said.
The city government is working with franchises including Starbucks, Subway, MOS Burger, OK Mart, FamilyMart and Hi-Life to provide loan cups to consumers at 24 venues in Taichung, the bureau said.
Venues offering loan cups are marked on a Google Maps link accessible in the news bulletin of the bureau’s Chinese-language Web site at www.epb.taichung.gov.tw, it said.
Taipei in December last year became the first municipality in Taiwan to prohibit the use of disposable plastic cups at drink shops. A similar ban imposed in New Taipei City took effect on Monday last week.
Additional reporting by CNA
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