During the peak tourist season, outlying islands are often reported to have an enormous amount of garbage. The Environmental Protection Agency yesterday (5th) released the "Guidelines for Designing Source Waste Reduction Services for Outlying Island Convenience Stores", guiding outlying island convenience stores to reduce plastic through repackaging and display of goods based on the three principles of naked sales, large packaging, and alternative materials.
Starting in June of this year, two 7-Eleven stores on Lanyu Island replaced their usual shelves filled with plastic bottles and containers with easily recyclable aluminum cans, unfinished items, and large family-sized items. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that this implementation will reduce plastic waste by nearly 1.3 tons annually. 7-Eleven has also pledged to implement these guidelines and transition to green stores in 90% of its outlying island stores by the end of the year.
Outlying Islands Waste Reduction Guidelines: Unpackaged Goods, Large Packaging, and Alternative Materials
Tourism on outlying islands is booming, but the islands' small interiors and inconvenient transportation make the resulting waste difficult to dispose of, a long-standing problem for local authorities. Taiwan's outlying islands have over a hundred chain convenience stores, generating significant amounts of plastic waste. Zhang Shaoxin, Assistant Environmental Technician at the Environmental Protection Administration's Recycling Management Committee, stated that earlier this year, they conducted discussions with 7-Eleven and FamilyMart and published the "Offshore Island Convenience Store Source Waste Reduction Service Design Guidelines," providing guidelines for island stores to reduce plastic waste.
These principles include "minimizing packaging," "substituting large for small," and "substituting materials." Some supermarket chains have also pledged to reduce their plastic use accordingly. For example, two 7-Eleven stores on Lanyu Island have replaced some plastic bottles with easily recyclable aluminum cans (an alternative material); replaced multiple small food and beverage packages with large ones (substituting large for small); and minimized packaging for items that can be sold unpackaged (minimizing packaging).
Zhang Shaoxin pointed out that the two 7-ELEVEN stores in Lanyu were the first to introduce the guidelines, which were implemented as early as June this year.
Two 7-11 stores on Lanyu Island are the first to offer a 10 yuan discount on borrowed reusable cups.
The two 7-Eleven stores on Lanyu Island have also partnered with the Taitung County Environmental Protection Bureau to offer a reusable cup loaner service. In addition to the existing NT$5 discount, customers who use the reusable cups receive an additional NT$5 off. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that these measures at the two stores will reduce plastic waste generation by a combined 1.3 tons annually.
In addition to reducing plastic waste, the 7-11 Orchid Island store has also introduced an "automatic resource recycling machine." Residents can receive a $1 store shopping discount by dropping in five plastic bottles. The Environmental Protection Agency stated that after the implementation of the machine, the store's monthly recycling volume increased from 252 kilograms to 336 kilograms, an increase of approximately 33%.
7-Eleven claims 90% of its outlying island stores are green; FamilyMart is switching from flat plastic containers to paper boxes.
Zhang Shaoxin said that the guidelines are only administrative guidance plans for reference by businesses and are not formal regulations, but Uni-President Supermarkets has promised that 90% of its offshore stores will follow the guidelines and transform into "green stores" by the end of this year.
FamilyMart has pledged to replace flat plastic trays and containers used for food with paper boxes at outlying island stores, with lids replaced with film. Freshly brewed beverages will also be sealed with film, and cup lids and straws will no longer be provided. FamilyMart stores in Kinmen are also collaborating with the Environmental Protection Bureau to implement a recycling cup system and are developing other plastic reduction measures.
Source: Environmental Information Center (https://e-info.org.tw/node/234925)
