This Project was implemented over the period May 12th – December 31st, 2017. The main objectives of the Project were to collect information about the municipal waste management measures that have been adopted in other countries in relation to waste prevention and waste reduction, to put forward suggestions for promoting effective municipal waste management within Taiwan, and to spread awareness of municipal waste source reduction concepts. The main results achieved through the implementation of the Project included: (1) Collection of information about waste prevention and waste reduction measures implemented in other countries in relation to municipal waste management, focusing on plastic shopping bags, disposable tableware, plastic microbeads, PVC products, etc., and provision of suggestions for the continued implementation in Taiwan of controls on single-use products such as plastic shopping bags, disposable tableware, disposable beverage cups and drinking straws, etc. (2) Provision of assistance with the formulation of the Restrictions on the Manufacture, Import and Sale of Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Including Toothpaste that Contain Plastic Microbeads, and with the revision of the Enforcement Method and Scheduled Dates for Restricted Use of Plastic Shopping Bags notification, along with the planning and promotion of related ancillary measures, including awareness-raising measures, establishment of related information exchange platforms, formulation of auditing principles, etc. (3) Implementation of presentations and press conferences relating to the government’s plastic products restriction policy, and design and production of related promotional materials, along with niche promotion activities involving visits to markets, night-markets and shopping districts in collaboration with civic organizations, aimed at promoting voluntary waste reduction in areas where formal controls have not yet been implemented. (4) Provision of assistance with the revision of the auditing principles adopted with respect to implementation of the Restrictions on the Manufacture, Import, and Sale of Dry Cell Batteries, and implementation of sampling of the heavy metal content of single-use cylindrical batteries, single-use button cell batteries and secondary batteries currently available for sale in Taiwan. (5) Continued implementation and refinement of existing source reduction measures targeting disposable tableware, plastic trays, disposable beverage cups and unnecessary packaging, etc.
