For EPA officials, the survey represented a step forward in the country's environmental progress. Nevertheless, environmental groups felt that more efforts still had to be made to reduce dependence on plastic and other disposable materials.
In January 2003, the EPA launched a program restricting the use of plastic shopping bags and plastic utensils, with the range of restrictions expanded this year. According to an EPA report in March, the agency implemented the ban to reduce consumption of plastic, thereby reducing the amount of waste in daily life.
Disposable eating utensils were used in many types of restaurants in Taiwan, from local cafeterias to high-end restaurants. Diners threw away an average of 22 million utensils in Taiwan every day, according to a 2002 EPA report.
Three years ago, the government prohibited the use of plastic bags and cutlery in government agencies. The ban affected many restaurants in the private sector as well. Plastic carrying bags with a thickness of over 0.06 millimeters could be sold in these places for up to US$0.20.
Beginning in July 2006, the ban on government and school dining facilities was expanded, so they could no longer provide any disposable tableware, including chopsticks, spoons, bowls and plates.
The survey, targeting consumers 18 years old and above in 23 cities and counties nationwide, was conducted to see how the policy had affected people's habits and judge its effectiveness.
According to an October 2005 statistic from the Department of Waste Management under the EPA, the quantity of disposable utensils thrown away was reduced by 87 percent, or 2.05 billion items, over the three years since the regulation took effect. In terms of plastic bags, about 1.92 billion fewer plastic bags were used, a reduction of 58 percent.
The survey revealed that about 77 percent of respondents said they cut back on the use of plastic bags due to the government policy. The EPA press release also said that about 45 percent would not use plastic bags provided by restaurants for takeout meals, representing a big change of habit. Before the program was implemented, only 18 percent did not use takeout bags. Approximately 68 percent of citizens said they supported the government's decision to continue restricting the use of plastic bags.
Ho Tsung-hsun, secretary-general of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union, a lobbying group for ecological issues, approved the government's efforts in trying to reduce the use of disposable cutlery and plastic bags. People would form better habits, Ho believed, because of the policy.
Ho pointed out, however, that the government needed to make the public aware of the issues before the ban could be extended to dining facilities throughout the nation. In addition, decision-making over such restrictive policies must include civic participation in the form of public hearings and forums, otherwise individuals would not adhere to the policy despite support from the public.