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Taiwan to expand ban on free plastic bags next year

2017-07-21
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Taipei, July 20 (CNA) Beginning next year, Taiwan will ban 80,000 more stores from offering free plastic shopping bags to customers, to further reduce the use of plastic, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said Thursday.

Since 2002, certain establishments such as government agencies, schools, department stores, shopping malls, hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores and fast-food restaurant chains have been prohibited from providing customers with free plastic shopping bags.

The ban imposed by the EPA applies to about 20,000 stores and has resulted in a supply decrease of 2 billion plastic shopping bags per year.

Starting Jan. 1 next year, the ban will be expanded to another 80,000 retailers with the aim of reducing plastic bag use by 1.5 billion per year, EPA officials said during a report to Premier Lin Chuan.

Pharmacies, medical equipment stores, retailers of computers, consumer electronics and communications products, book and stationery stores, laundries, beverage stores, and bakeries will be prohibited from offering free plastic bags to customers, or will risk a fine of NT$1,200 (US$39) to NT$6,000, the EPA said.

In addition, the EPA said, it will revoke its stipulation on the minimum thickness of plastic bags sold by such retailers, which is now specified as 0.06 millimeters.

Furthermore, plastic bag use will be tightened in cities such as Taipei and New Taipei where residents are currently required to purchase government-issued garbage bags to dispose of their trash.

Beginning next year, hypermarket, supermarket or convenience store in these cities will only be allowed to sell government-certified garbage bags that can also be used as shopping bags to customers who wish to buy a shopping bag.

Also, with effect from January 1 next year, the EPA said, it will ban the manufacture and importation of shampoos, shower gels, facial cleansers, soaps, scrubs and toothpastes that contain plastic particles and will prohibit their sale in Taiwan from July 1 that year. 

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