TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming (彭啓明) on Tuesday addressed the growing food waste problem following a government ban on using municipal food waste to feed pigs, implemented after an African swine fever outbreak in Taichung on Oct. 21.

The outbreak was linked to improperly cooked food waste used as pig feed. As a result, the central government temporarily prohibited the practice nationwide to prevent further infections, per UDN.

Peng told media the ban has generated an additional 500 tonnes of food waste per day. He said incineration is being used as a short-term measure, but sustainable, long-term solutions are needed.

“The most environmentally friendly options, such as rapid composting, converting waste to biomass energy, and using black soldier fly larvae will take another one to two years to fully develop,” Peng said.

He noted that most food waste originates from restaurants, catering businesses, and households. The ministry is currently negotiating land acquisition and facility expansion with various local governments to boost processing capacity.

Peng said that while smaller counties like Pingtung can handle their roughly 40 tonnes of daily food waste independently, larger municipalities face greater strain due to population density. “Taichung, for example, is experiencing significant challenges under the current system and will require special solutions,” he said.

He added that food waste formerly used as pig feed cannot be processed using existing municipal waste systems, making the issue a pressing challenge for local governments and the environment.