One of the new policies that will be implemented on July 1st is the reduction of plastic bags in markets. According to the Executive Yuan, starting from July 1st, at least one market in each county and city nationwide will pilot the reduction of plastic bags. The Ministry of Environment will hold a press conference on "Buy your own groceries" at Taipei Nanmen Market tomorrow morning (2nd) to explain the latest plan.
Taiwan used a total of 10 billion plastic shopping bags last year (2023), half of which were used in traditional markets and night markets. In response to recent media reports that "40 night markets and markets across Taiwan will pilot the reduction of plastic bags starting in July", the Ministry of Environment initially responded that it has not promoted the payment of plastic bags, and further confirmed that night markets have not yet been included in the policy.
Plastic reduction is only promoted in markets? Peng Qiming: We hope to achieve it step by step
The Ministry of Environment's goal of completely banning plastic shopping bags by 2030 is only five years away, but traditional markets and night markets, which account for the largest amount of plastic bags, have yet to be regulated. Before taking office, Environment Minister Peng Qiming gave an exclusive interview to the United Daily News, stating his intention to promote Taipei's Ningxia Night Market as the first demonstration zone to ban or restrict the use of plastic bags in the second half of the year. In early June, he even told the media, "Currently, 40 markets across Taiwan have been selected to pilot plastic reduction initiatives, and Ningxia Night Market is willing to take the lead in achieving a complete plastic bag-free policy."
The Ministry of Environment announced in an interview on the 2nd that, to promote source reduction, it "announced the start of a nationwide market-wide concerted effort to reduce plastic use." The initiative will collaborate with 22 counties, cities, and 31 markets nationwide to reduce plastic use. This includes asking vendors to proactively inquire about plastic bag needs and encouraging the public to follow three tips for reducing plastic use at markets: bringing your own reusable bags when buying groceries, combining fruits and vegetables in one bag whenever possible, and avoiding bags at every stall.
The document did not mention "night markets." Li Yihua, Director of the Sustainable Consumer Recycling Group at the National Resources and Recycling Agency, confirmed to reporters that the Ministry of Environment requires each county and city to nominate at least one market willing to promote plastic reduction and cooperate with these efforts, and night markets were not included. He explained that neither markets nor night markets are included in the 14 categories of "plastic bag restrictions for shopping," and that encouragement is currently required.
"No night markets yet" Ministry of Environment to promote plastic reduction in markets
Markets tend to sell more fresh fruits and vegetables, while night markets tend to sell snacks, resulting in different scenarios for plastic bag use. Li Yihua noted that even though this plastic bag reduction campaign focuses solely on markets, "we still encourage everyone to reduce their use of plastic bags" at night markets. Tomorrow's press conference will provide market vendors and the public with references to reducing plastic bag use.
At the end of May, the Ministry of Environment responded to media reports that "40 night markets and marketplaces across Taiwan will conduct a trial to reduce plastic use starting in July" and stated that although vendors in markets and night markets use a large amount of plastic bags for shopping, they will not be required to pay for plastic bags for shopping, and detailed promotion details will be proposed in June. However, by July, the only relevant measure was a social media post by the Ministry of Recycling, encouraging people to bring their own reusable bags. Furthermore, several local governments, including New Taipei City, Hsinchu City, Taichung City, Nantou City, and Chiayi City, had already begun rolling out incentives for reducing plastic use in their marketplaces.
During a joint media interview at the "Watershed for All" Initiative Forum last Friday (June 28), Peng Qiming emphasized, "Whether (night markets) should completely ban plastic bags or charge for them is something we hope to achieve step by step. We're not saying it's mandatory right now."
Ningxia Night Market, with extensive environmental experience, is considering introducing recycling bags for wafers and reusable pots.
In an interview today, Lin Dingguo, chairman of the Ningxia Night Market Tourism Association, stated that the Ningxia Night Market began its efforts to become an "environmentally friendly night market" 23 years ago, not only banning disposable tableware but also phasing out the melamine tableware commonly used in night markets. He stated that the Ningxia Night Market has extensive experience in environmental protection and is willing to cooperate with future policies.
Lin Dingguo pointed out that environmental protection and cleanliness are the reasons why Ningxia Night Market is popular, and revealed that they are currently producing recyclable bags and recyclable pots with built-in chips. In addition to being recyclable, they can also record people's usage habits as a reference for environmental protection policies.
Sources: Environmental Information Center
