On June 29, the Taiwan Provincial Environmental Protection Department announced that restaurants, retail stores and public institutions in Taiwan will ban the use of tableware made of polylactic acid (PLA), including plates, from August 1, 2023 , bento containers, cups, polylactic acid is a plant-based bioplastic.
According to the new regulations, violators will be fined NT$1,200~6,000 (contract: NT$279~1,392), according to the environmental protection department.
In 2002, Taiwan first banned the use of plastic tableware in eight places, including public institutions, public and private schools, department stores and shopping malls, hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores, fast food chains and restaurants.
The ordinance was amended in 2006 to ban the distribution of single-use cutlery containing materials other than plastic to those dining on-site at schools and public institutions.
PLA tableware was initially excluded because it was thought to biodegrade more easily than other similar materials, but it was later found that PLA breaks down rapidly only under certain conditions, the environmental agency said.
Furthermore, there are currently no suitable facilities for recycling PLA in Taiwan, and PLA has also been confused with polystyrene (PS), causing environmental hazards, it added.
In 2019, the regulations were further amended to ban the use of plastic straws (not made of PLA) in public institutions, school canteens, department stores and shopping centers, and fast food chains.
It also banned the distribution of single-use tableware made of any material at the eight venues mentioned above.
The draft regulation was announced on Feb. 1 and will take effect on Aug. 1 after a six-month public comment period, the environmental agency said.
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