The Taiwan Ministry of Environment announced discounted recycling and disposal fees for plastic containers using recycled material or adhering to green design standards.
Under Article 16 of Taiwan’s Waste Disposal Act, manufacturers and importers of plastic containers must pay fees based on the type, weight, and recyclability of their products. This Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy has applied to plastic containers since 2001 and has subsequently been amended to encourage sustainability practices.
The latest amendment, announced last December, sets new ‘green fee’ rates for various materials, including plastic. As of Jan. 1, 2025, producers of plastic containers can enjoy up to 45% discount on disposal and recycling fees if their products comply with eligibility criteria.
There are two eligibility criteria: recycled content and eco-design.
Containers must have at least 25% recycled plastic content, recycled materials must not contain hazardous substances and must comply with safety standards for food contact where applicable.
Eco-design standards include transparent, colourless design without printing; easily removable or partially adhesive labels; and specific materials for caps and labels (e.g., PET, PP, or PE) to ensure compatibility with the recycling processes.
The amendment to Article 16 includes a table with the green fee rate for different types of plastic material. Eligible PET containers, for example, are now subject to a fee between 4.86 TWD (€0.14)/kg and 7.95 TWD/kg, depending on their type and tier classification.
PVC containers are not eligible for green rates due to ‘environmental concerns’, the document states.
Taiwan boosts one the highest plastic recycling rates in the world. In 2019, the domestic recycling rate hit 51%, with a 97% rate for plastic containers. The overall recycling rate stood at 35%.
The nation was an early adopter of policies to tackle plastic pollution. It developed a plastic reduction roadmap in 1997, introducing measures to recycle plastic containers, reduce the use of plastic bags, and restrict the use of plastic cutlery. Taiwan extended the programme in 2019 and has since set new sustainability targets.
The Ministry of Environment aims for a 5% decrease in single-use plastic packaging by 2030, compared to 2023 levels. It also plans to increase the recycled content in plastic packaging and containers to 25% by 2025 and 30% by 2030.
Last year, Taiwan finalised its single-use plastic cup ban.