The News Lens
Date: 2016/06/22
By: Olivia Yang
Every year, Taiwanese use a total of more that 20 billion plastic bags, nearly four times the
Photo Credit：Michael Kowalczyk@Flickr CC BY SA 2.0
quantity in the entire European Union.
Polish exchange student Piotr Kurczewski has launched an online petition calling for a ban on free plastic bags in Taiwan.
In Taiwan for four years, Kurczewski fell in love with the beauty and friendliness of the island, but noticed the serious pollution caused by plastic bags.
In the description of the petition Free Taiwan From Free Plastic Bags, Kurczewski points out that many of the plastic bags given out are only used once before being disposed. He also acknowledges how using plastic bags has become a habit for the Taiwanese, who most of the time “do not hesitate to ask for a plastic bag to carry food, drinks, or other products.”
The Polish PhD student is calling on President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to implement a NT$5 fee on all plastic and paper carry-out bags. So far the petition has garnered more than 5,000 signatures since it was started. [FULL STORY]
