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
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]