If you have ever lived in or visited Taiwan, you are probably aware of the amount of plastic bags that are used on a daily basis. It can be astounding. Due to this, Taiwan’s government has started implementing its new plastic policy. The policy bans many stores from using non-recyclable plastic bags. It does allow for some plastic bags to be sold. This seems to be most notable at drink shops and in night markets, for which Taiwan is famous.
The policy will be expanded in the coming years. In 2019 the policy will ban restaurants from giving plastic straws to customers. The fees for bags will be increased in 2020 and be raised again in 2025. The final goal is to ban all single use bags, straws, containers and utensils by 2030.
The policy will be one of, if not, the strictest of its ilk throughout the entire globe. It will prevent literal tons of plastic from littering the earth and the ocean, the latter being a key resource for the independent island. This should go a long way in helping deal with a very serious issue, as an estimated 8 metric tons of plastic enter ocean waters every year. Global Citizen equates this to “emptying a garbage truck of plastic into an ocean every minute.”
It may be slightly less convenient to bring your own bag or straw to a shop, or for the shop to find new ways to create these utensils. However, one thing is certain, this could save our planet. I hope that more countries work to impose such strict regulation regarding recycling, Taiwan also has one of the most efficient recycling systems in the entire world. We need to start working towards healing our planet instead of harming it, as it may already be too late.