The new measures that came into effect on 1 January 2022 include: controlling cooking smoke from restaurants, setting up a registration system for kitchen waste cooking facilities, tightening controls for labeling of chlorpyrifos, building an integrated waste vehicle recycling platform, and recyclers care program.

1. Measures controlling cooking smoke from restaurants effective January  

Newly opened restaurants up to a specific scale must install cooking smoke control equipment and conduct proper operations and maintenance. Moreover, restaurants in New Taipei City and Taipei City are subject to stricter regulations and therefore are to comply accordingly to safeguard the health of the public and staff.

2. A registration system set up for kitchen waste cooking facilities

The EPA has finished setting up a registration system for kitchen waste cooking facilities. Pig farms using kitchen wastes as feeds, more than 400 in total, are required to upload all essential information and kitchen waste cooking status up to the EPA’s cloud system. It used to be that all data had to be entered manually. Starting 2022, enterprises can upload by just scanning the specific QR Code of each, checking boxes on whether to cook or not, and then clicking “send.” It is no longer needed to manually type or install relevant software, streamlining the whole process with fewer typing errors.

3. Controls tightened for labeling of chlorpyrifos, an environmental agent   

In line with gradually limiting the use of chlorpyrifos globally, controls are strengthened for its use as an environmental agent in sprays. Warnings on labels are put in place to limit its use in outdoor environments only to lower indoor exposure and risks.

For products (including manufactured and imported) that are environmental agents containing chlorpyrifos, produced after 1 January 2022, warnings that prohibit use in households and indoor environments are to be put on labels of regular environmental agents. Warnings that allow use in outdoor environments only are to be put on labels of special agents. All aim to remind consumers to use environmental agents with caution.

4. The integrated waste vehicle recycling platform

From 1 January 2022, the EPA is working with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to promote recycling waste vehicles. With one click on the keyboard, people are now accessing the system that integrates five services, including recycling vehicles.

5. Recyclers care program   

In 2022, individual recyclers listed by local environmental bureaus are offered higher-than-market purchasing prices per unit as an incentive. For example, the price is raised to NT18/kg to purchase waste paper containers. Onsite collection at individual storage sites is also available to recyclers in need of assistance. A total budget of NT$126.26 million has been appropriated in 2022 for the program with monthly maximum subsidy of NT$5,000/person.

A one-year microinsurance, with a maximum premium of NT$500, is provided to each recycler eligible for the care program. It is to prevent financial downfalls of their families, should accidents occur to recyclers during their work.

Excerpt from Major Environmental Policies, January 2022