Regulating single-use straws would put Taiwan on the map for having advanced environmental policy ahead of any other country in the region.
The News Lens
Date: 2017/11/22
By: Dinah Gardner
Taiwan Green Bulletin
In the land of bubble tea, the plastic straw is ubiquitous in Taiwan. Every iced drink, fruit
Photo Credit: Lonely Whale
smoothie, cream sodden Frappuccino, or Venti iced skinny hazelnut macchiato sugar-free syrup extra shot light ice no whip please comes with a planet of plastic to encase it and of course a plastic straw to inhale it through. Hole in the wall tea shops, fast food outlets, coffee shops, both chain and indie, to sit-down restaurants with nice tablecloths all seem to proffer that thin tube of pointless and polluting plastic.
According to local media, the country uses 3 billion of the things every year – which seems to me to be an under-estimation because with a 23 million population that comes out to 130 straws a year per person, which is only about one every three days. Those queues at the Comebuy tea and coffee outlets tell a different story!
This is a great opportunity for Taiwan. Regulating single-use straws would put the country on the map for having advanced environmental policy ahead of any other country in the region. [FULL STORY]
