The government is working across all sectors to formulate plastic reduction policy measures in line with global standards, the Ministry of Environment said in a statement Nov. 25.
The ministry’s remarks came following the opening of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee of the UN Environment Program the same day in Busan, South Korea. The seven-day event aims to develop an international legally binding instrument by 2024 to address the full plastic lifecycle, including production, design and disposal.
During a press event in Taipei City, MOENV Minister Peng Chi-ming said the ministry is closely monitoring INC-5’s progress, and will review the government’s 2018 plastic reduction goals and set new targets accordingly. The ministry is working on a bill to integrate the Waste Disposal Act and Resource Recycling Act for reuse of plastics in the circular economy, he added.
According to the MOENV’s Resource Circulation Administration, the UN plastics treaty seeks to reduce consumption of single-use plastics and develop replacements, as well as establish specific design requirements for plastic products that lead to an increase in their recyclability, among other goals. Following the future implementation of the treaty, the administration will take inventory of current regulations and formulate new measures in response.
As part of this work, the MOENV set up a plastics alliance earlier this year to coordinate public and private sector action, formulate policy guidelines and offer technical support for local firms adapting to the global plastics treaty, the ministry said. (SFC-E)
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