TAIPEI (TVBS News) —Taiwan's Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) assured on Monday (Feb. 10) that Taiwan will not follow U.S. President Donald Trump's plans to reinstate the use of plastic straws. He emphasized that the nation's plastic reduction policy remains firm and highlighted that limiting plastic use is an international trend.
Since 2018, Taiwan has enforced restrictions on plastic shopping bags, disposable tableware, beverage cups, and straws at specific locations. The Ministry of Environment (MOE, 環境部) plans to collaborate with various groups in the first half of the year to adjust and draft plastic reduction policies and goals for 2025 to 2035.
Taiwan's environmental groups raised concerns after Trump criticized the uselessness of paper straws, and announced plans to sign an executive order to reverse former President Joe Biden's plan to phase out plastic straws. Peng also stressed the importance of extensive discussion and communication with society for policy implementation while observing changes in plastic usage following the U.S. decision.
Last year's Global Plastic Pollution Treaty, INC-5 session in Busan did not reach a conclusion but outlined a direction for plastic reduction, aiming to eliminate various single-use plastic products by 2040. Chuang Hsiao-ting (莊筱庭), director of the Greenpeace Plastic Reduction Project, noted that many paper straws contain harmful Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, 多氟和全氟烷基) chemicals and recommended using reusable cups or straws.
Hsieh He-lin (謝和霖), secretary-general of the Taiwan Watch Institute, suggested that straws, while convenient, are non-essential and could be taxed similarly to plastic bags.