TAIPEI CITY'S 'PER BAG TRASH COLLECTION FEE' POLICY

摘要

On July 1, 2000 the Environmental Protection Bureau of Taipei City Government (TEPB) took a historical first step forward in resolving an age-old problem. To reduce the environmental pressure created by municipal solid waste the Taipei City Government implemented a "Per Bag Trash Collection Fee" (PBTCF). A PBTCF means that city residents are charged a fee for each bag of trash collected from them by government cleaning crews. Trash in Taipei City is collected through a curbside pickup system since 1996. The new PBTCF requires residents to use specially marked and certified trash bags that can be purchased at designated locations throughout the city. The bags, which are available in six sizes, are priced based on a fee rate of NT$0.5 per liter. Recyclables are collected for free, to encourage residents to save money on trash fees by separating recyclables from trash items. Bulky or large trash items are collected for free by appointment with local city trash crews. In addition, the TEPB has issued special free-bags to volunteers in order to maintain the cleanliness of public areas, such as parks and schoolyards. General industrial wastes, or those that generate over 30KG of waste per day, must be collected through arrangement with private waste handlers. The TEPB's meticulous preparatory efforts yielded impressive results when the PBTCF went into effect. Monthly household waste averages plummeted 36.1% from 2,970 tons in 1999 to only 1,898 tons after one year of implementation. Recycling rates increased to nearly 3.5 times, from 2.38% to 8.46%. Even more impressive was the support from City Residents. After a year usage rates for the special trash bags neared 100% and the number of illegally discarded bags is very low. Public surveys in October 2000 also revealed that 75% of the public believes the new policy was successful and 51% made an intentional effort to reduce their trash volumes. However, the City Government is still looking for ways to further improve the PBTCF, including mandatory recycling regulations and establishment of total sorting facilities. These are all part of the City Government's commitment to reaching a goal of "Zero landfill by 2020", and create an environmentally sound, beautiful, and sustainable Taipei City.