The Environmental Protection Administration says it plans to ban single-use
plastic drinking straws in fast food chains beginning next year and a ban on
all food stores provided such drinking straws will be introduced from 2020.

According to Environment Minister Lee Ying-yuan, the move comes after his
office and several environmental groups laid out a series of initiatives and
measures to reduce plastic waste.

Lee says the E-P-A will expand a restriction on providing customers with free
plastic shopping bags to all retail stores that issue uniform invoices by
2020.

And it's hoped that a total ban on all stores offering plastic bags can be
introduced by 2025.

A restriction against providing customers with free disposable tableware and
food containers for in-store dining will be expanded to more food stores in
2020, while a blanket ban against offering such products will be introduced
in 2025.

The E-P-A head also says that his office will introduce measures to encourage
consumers to bring their own beverage containers to drinks stores, by
offering discounts to reduce the use of single-use cups in 2020.