TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former Environment Deputy Minister Chan Shun-kuei (詹順貴) urged the government to step up plastic reduction measures and ensure the policies are implemented in plastic packaging used by industries.
Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) said the ministry aims to reduce the use of plastic bags, disposable tableware, beverage cups, straws, and shopping packaging materials by 5% in 2030 and by 10% in 2035, compared with 2024 levels, per Business Today.
Peng noted that current measures include charging consumers for plastic bags, beverage cups, and disposable tableware, while also encouraging the public to reuse plastic bags or bring their own shopping bags.
However, Chan called on the government to expand its plastic reduction measures beyond public consumption items such as plastic bags, straws, and e-commerce packaging. He said limiting plastic packaging in industrial use is also necessary to achieve more effective plastic reduction.
He further suggested the ministry better assess domestic supply and demand for plastic bags to develop feasible reduction plans.
Chan said the ministry needs to set clearer targets for reducing plastic use in industrial and household plastic bags. He also proposed supporting manufacturers in making reusable shopping bags.
Taiwan has been implementing plastic reduction policies since 2002. However, domestic plastic bag production rose from 220,000 tonnes to 300,000 tonnes last year, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said. Domestic sales of plastic bags also increased from 140,000 tonnes to 220,000 tonnes over the same period.
A 2024 survey by the Resource Circulation Administration estimated that Taiwan’s annual use of plastic bags for shopping reaches up to 11.5 billion items, or about 80,000 tonnes. The survey also found that more than 68% of respondents are willing to bring their own shopping bags and support paying for plastic bags.
DPP Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) urged the two ministries to strengthen cooperation in tracking imports of petrochemical raw materials, as well as the production and sales of plastic products, to better understand Taiwan’s plastic supply and demand conditions.
He also suggested tightening control over plastic supply while prioritizing medical use to prevent market price manipulation.
Environmental group Greenpeace said that incentives such as discounts for bringing personal cups and charges for plastic bags at some stores have helped reduce demand.
Since 2002, the environment ministry has required department stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, and beverage shops to stop providing plastic bags for free. It estimated the policy has reduced annual plastic bag use from about 20 billion to 10 billion items.
Plastic bags covered by the ban account for about 12% of domestic use, while traditional markets make up the largest share at 56%, followed by the food and beverage sector at 22%. Peng said expanding the policy to traditional markets could pose challenges for vendors, and that wider implementation would take time.
