Environmental Policy for the Restriction on the Use of Plastic Products in Taiwan: Regulatory Measures, Implementation Status and COVID-19’s Impacts on Plastic Products Recycling

In response to international trends regarding the reduction in plastic waste (or plastic pollution), this work used the official statistics that were recently released, focusing on regulatory actions restricting the use of plastic products and/or the increase in recycling in Taiwan. In addition, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on plastic waste generation and plastic products’ recycling were also addressed in the present study. The results showed that the plastic compositions in the garbage slightly increased in recent years, suggesting that the effect of restrictions on the use of plastic products in Taiwan was not significant, even though the regulatory measures have been implemented since 2002. However, chlorine contents in the garbage were significantly increased in 2020. The increase could be attributed to the fact that kitchen waste (containing salt), household waste containing disinfectant (e.g., chlorine dioxide, sodium hypochlorite) or PVC-made products were generated more during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the data also indicated that the monthly quantities of recycled plastic containers and other plastic products had no significant change since January 2020, especially in the outbreak period from May 2021 to July 2021.

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Reducing plastic waste for the competitiveness of Vietnamese tourist attractions

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/202021001011 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 210 ◽

pp. 01011

Author(s):

Minh Tuan Tran ◽

Trung Luong Pham ◽

Xuan Tung Nguyen

Keyword(s):

Public Education ◽

Sustainable Tourism ◽

Plastic Waste ◽

Plastic Pollution ◽

Tourist Attractions ◽

Sustainable Tourism Development ◽

The Past ◽

Plastic Bags ◽

Plastic Wastes ◽

Plastic Products

Plastic usage in tourism activities has increased significantly in Vietnam over the past decades, leading to the burden of plastic pollution and the threat to sustainable tourism development. The Vietnamese government has recognized the importance of plastic waste management in sustainable tourism. Laws and regulations on controlling pollution due to non-biodegradable plastic bags. Public education activities have been organized to encourage people replace plastic products with natural materials, reuse plastic bags and reduce plastic wastes. Many tourism businesses have found ways to limit plastic consumption, such as replacing disposal plastic products with eco-friendly products. Vietnamese tourism has taken the first steps in reducing plastic waste pollution in tourism activities. This article proposed some solutions to limit and restrain plastic wastes from tourism in Vietnam.

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Plastic waste

10.31219/osf.io/umr5s ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Phạm Hà Trang ◽

Hoang Truong Giang ◽

Nguyen Cam Duong

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Plastic Waste ◽

Plastic Pollution ◽

Global Problem ◽

Single Use ◽

Plastic Products

Plastic pollution is an urgent global problem that threatens the entire ecosystem, causing climate change and many other consequences that humans have to bear. Therefore, citizens need to uphold their sense of responsibility, consciously change living habits, say no to single-use plastic products. Protecting the environment, limiting plastic waste is protecting ourselves.

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Environmental impact assessment of plastic waste during the outbreak of COVID-19 and integrated strategies for its control and mitigation

Reviews on Environmental Health ◽

10.1515/reveh-2021-0098 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Shahrah Al Qahtani ◽

Fatimah Al Wuhayb ◽

Hacene Manaa ◽

Adnan Younis ◽

Shama Sehar

Keyword(s):

Fossil Fuel ◽

Public Awareness ◽

Environmental Issue ◽

Plastic Waste ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Plastic Pollution ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Single Use ◽

Plastic Products

Abstract During the COVID-19 pandemic, many positive shifts have been observed in the ecosystem, with a significant decrease in the greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. On the other hand, there were unavoidable negative shifts due to a surge in demand for plastic products such as food and groceries’ delivery packaging, single-use plastics, medical and personal protective equipment to prevent transmission of COVID-19. Plastic pollution can be considered as a key environmental issue in world due to the huge footprints of plastics on natural ecosystems and public health. Herein, we presented an overview on the rise of plastic pollution during the COVID-19 pandemic. The potential sources of plastic waste during COVID-19 with its negative effects on the environment such as marine ecosystems and the global economics are highlighted. We also suggested some strategies and recommendations to tackle plastic leakages by applying feedstock recycling, sterilization, and with the use of biodegradable plastics that have become a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel plastics. Also, the importance of elevating public awareness and some recommendations to mitigate plastic generated during the pandemic has been addressed as well.

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Plastic Waste

10.31219/osf.io/7q3x5 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Phạm Hà Trang ◽

Hoàng Trường Giang ◽

Nguyen Cam Duong

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Plastic Waste ◽

Plastic Pollution ◽

Global Problem ◽

Single Use ◽

Plastic Products

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Analysis of plastic waste reduction and recycling in Taiwan

Waste Management & Research ◽

10.1177/0734242x21996821 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 0734242X2199682

Author(s):

Wen-Tien Tsai

Keyword(s):

Waste Management ◽

Power Systems ◽

Competent Authority ◽

Plastic Waste ◽

Waste Reduction ◽

Control Measures ◽

Regulatory Policies ◽

Msw Incineration ◽

Plastic Containers ◽

Plastic Products

With the mass production and consumption of single-use plastics and other plastic products, plastic waste management and its resulting microplastic pollution have become the most noteworthy environmental issues. The main objectives of this paper were to review the regulatory measures for plastic waste reduction and recycling, analyse the trend changes on the recycled amounts of regulated plastic containers and also address the discussions on the impacts of COVID-19 on the expected increase in plastic waste. In the past two decades, the central competent authority (i.e. Environmental Protection Administration (EPA)) in Taiwan has promulgated some regulations governing plastic waste reduction and recycling, especially plastic containers. Based on the official statistics, it showed that total certified amounts of regulated plastic containers have increased from 45,552 tonnes in 1998 to 194,133 tonnes in 2019. This shift was in line with circular economy policies by the Zero Waste Program and Resource Recycling and Reuse Plan launched by the Taiwan EPA during this period. On the other hand, the COVID-19 pandemic will impact on the regulatory policies for plastic waste management because the excess use of regulated plastic products will be temporarily permitted due to the epidemic prevention and control measures. Although the increased proportion of plastic waste in municipal solid waste (MSW) will be beneficial for the energy efficiencies of waste-to-power systems in MSW incineration plants, the recycling and reduction rates of regulated plastic containers or products could decline during the COVID-19 breakout.

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The Global Plastic Pollution Crisis

Policy Quarterly ◽

10.26686/pq.v16i2.6484 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Trisia Farrelly ◽

Laura Green

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Plastic Waste ◽

Household Waste ◽

Plastic Pollution ◽

Waste Hierarchy ◽

Carbon Reduction ◽

Per Capita ◽

Multiple Levels ◽

Developed World ◽

Binding Agreement

The management of plastic waste is a global problem which currently lacks a global solution. As one of the highest per capita producers of household waste in the developed world, New Zealand has a key role to play in addressing the plastics crisis at multiple levels of governance. This article analyses the various policy options available to the New Zealand government and offers a series of recommendations, including prioritising policy and investment at the top of the waste hierarchy (refuse, rethink, redesign, reduce and reuse); linking plastic waste to toxicological risk and commitments to carbon reduction targets; implementing global commitments domestically; and supporting a proposed international legally binding agreement that captures the full lifecycle of plastics and regulates the transboundary flows of plastic pollution.

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Population Growth and Waste Management in Metropolitan Lagos

The Nigerian Journal of Sociology and Anthropology ◽

10.36108/njsa/3102/11(0260) ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Femi O. Omololu ◽

Akinmayowa S. Lawal

Keyword(s):

Waste Management ◽

Population Growth ◽

Management Practices ◽

Public Private Partnership ◽

Household Waste ◽

Waste Generation ◽

Private Partnership ◽

The Public ◽

Lagos State ◽

Waste Management Practices

This paper examines the influence of population growth on waste generation in Lagos metropolis, African’s most populous urban conglomeration. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the study analyses the pattern of household waste disposal, collection and transportation in Lagos State. It also examines the public-private partnership strategy adopted in waste management. The findings show that population growth significantly influences waste generation and management in Lagos metropolis. As the population increased, the volume of waste generated also increased in each LGA of Lagos State. The public-private partnership strategy has been effective in managing waste, but the Lagos State Waste Management Authority oversight was adjudged as less than satisfactory. The paper concludes that intervention is needed in terms of educating the growing population of the Lagos metropolis on the best waste management practices. It highlights the need for a more efficient and effective publicprivate partnership collaboration to solve this perennial social problem.

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A Study on the Trend of Domestic Waste Generation and the Recognition of Recycling Priorities in Korea

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13041732 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 1732

Author(s):

Seok-ho Jung ◽

Mee-hye Lee ◽

Seong-ho Lee ◽

Ji Whan Ahn

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Consumption ◽

Waste Recycling ◽

Household Waste ◽

Waste Generation ◽

Analytic Hierarchy ◽

Sustainable Consumption And Production ◽

Survey Results ◽

Scrap Metals ◽

Hierarchy Process

In September 2015, the United Nations included ‘sustainable consumption and production’ as part of its 12th goal of sustainable development. The EU announced its Circular Economic Package in December 2015 to move from the existing linear economic structure to the net environmental system. Recycling of household waste has become more significant as a circular economic policy has been implemented to reflow waste into the economy through recycling worldwide. In this study, Korea’s household waste generation for 20 years from 1998 to 2017 was analyzed through statistical techniques. Waste generation tended to increase in the order of plastics and cans, and papers tended to decrease. The amount of bottle wastes has been on the decline after increasing. A questionnaire survey on recycling priority was conducted on 261 people, including participants in the EARTH-2019 recycling experience hall, using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique. According to the survey, the recycling priorities of six types of household waste are (first) plastic, (second) cans, viny, scrap metals, (third) paper, and (fourth) bottles. Statistical analysis of mid- to long-term household waste generation and AHP-based household waste recycling priority survey results can be used as basic data, such as environmental analysis in Korea’s recycling-related policies and research.

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The production of valuable products and fuel from plastic waste in Africa

Discover Sustainability ◽

10.1007/s43621-021-00040-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

Author(s):

M. Opoku Amankwa ◽

E. Kweinor Tetteh ◽

G. Thabang Mohale ◽

G. Dagba ◽

P. Opoku

Keyword(s):

Environmental Protection Agency ◽

Road Construction ◽

Plastic Waste ◽

Liquid Fuels ◽

Environmental Costs ◽

Waste Generation ◽

Sustainable Environment ◽

Trade Offs ◽

The Us ◽

Shipping Containers

AbstractGlobal plastic waste generation is about 300 million metric tons annually and poses crucial health and environmental problems. Africa is the second most polluted continent in the world, with over 500 shipping containers of waste being imported every month. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report suggests that about 75% of this plastic waste ends up in landfills. However, landfills management is associated with high environmental costs and loss of energy. In addition, landfill leachates end up in water bodies, are very detrimental to human health, and poison marine ecosystems. Therefore, it is imperative to explore eco-friendly techniques to transform plastic waste into valuable products in a sustainable environment. The trade-offs of using plastic waste for road construction and as a component in cementitious composites are discussed. The challenges and benefits of producing liquid fuels from plastic waste are also addressed. The recycling of plastic waste to liquid end-products was found to be a sustainable way of helping the environment with beneficial economic impact.

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Application of failure mode and effects analysis to reduce microplastic emissions

Waste Management & Research ◽

10.1177/0734242x211003133 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 0734242X2110031

Author(s):

Ana Pires ◽

Paula Sobral

Keyword(s):

Failure Mode ◽

Quantitative Methods ◽

Policy Instruments ◽

Effect Analysis ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Heuristic Technique ◽

Single Use ◽

Regulatory Measures ◽

Plastic Products

A complete understanding of the occurrence of microplastics and the methods to eliminate their sources is an urgent necessity to minimize the pollution caused by microplastics. The use of plastics in any form releases microplastics to the environment. Existing policy instruments are insufficient to address microplastics pollution and regulatory measures have focussed only on the microbeads and single-use plastics. Fees on the use of plastic products may possibly reduce their usage, but effective management of plastic products at their end-of-life is lacking. Therefore, in this study, the microplastic–failure mode and effect analysis (MP–FMEA) methodology, which is a semi-qualitative approach capable of identifying the causes and proposing solutions for the issue of microplastics pollution, has been proposed. The innovative feature of MP–FMEA is that it has a pre-defined failure mode, that is, the release of microplastics to air, water and soil (depending on the process) or the occurrence of microplastics in the final product. Moreover, a theoretical recycling plant case study was used to demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of this method. The results revealed that MP–FMEA is an easy and heuristic technique to understand the failure-effect-causes and solutions for reduction of microplastics and can be applied by researchers working in different domains apart from those relating to microplastics. Future studies can include the evaluation of the use of MP–FMEA methodology along with quantitative methods for effective reduction in the release of microplastics.

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