TAIPEI CITY PROMOTES DUAL-USE CONVENIENCE STORE SHOPPING BAGS|北市推"兩袋合一" 超商購物袋可當垃圾袋

Taipei City's Environmental Protection Department announced yesterday that plastic shopping bags purchased in Taipei at places such as convenience stores, can also be used as the city's certified garbage bags. It is estimated that the measure will save as many as 20 million plastic bags every year. But a reminder here is that shopping bags purchased in Taipei City cannot be used in New Taipei City because the two cities have separate garbage bag schemes. Dual-use plastic bags with two different sizes can now be purchased in convenience stores in Taipei. Besides serving as plastic shopping bags, these bags can also be used as garbage bags, but only in Taipei. ==MRS. YUEH Taipei resident== It's actually kind of inconvenient because these plastic bags can only serve as garbage bags in Taipei. It may cause inconvenience since you cannot use them as garbage bags in other cities. ==MRS. LIU Taipei citizen== Sometimes if you buy too many things, or if you forget to bring your own shopping bags, you may choose to buy plastic shopping bags. According to Taipei City's Environmental Protection Department, the average number of plastic bags used by a Taipei city citizen every year is 782. Around 25 million to 26 million plastic bags are sold to consumers every year. To reduce plastic bag usage, Taipei City government said it will expand implementation of the new measure as soon as next year. Currently, it is only applicable in Taipei City and New Taipei City. However, since the two cities have separate designated garbage bag schemes, plastic shopping bags purchased in Taipei City cannot be used as garbage bags in New Taipei City, and vice versa. == LIU MING-LUNG DEP Commissioner, Taipei City == For those who come to shop in Taipei, it is still advised to bring their own shopping bags, as what environmental protection authorities usually call on. If there is really a need for plastic shopping bags, then people who purchase these bags can give them to their friends in Taipei for garbage use. After the new measure is implemented, Taipei City government estimated that 20 million plastic bags can be saved every year. However, the city government still hopes that consumers can bring their own shopping bags while shopping to reduce plastic bag usage. TRANSLATED BY：ARIEL HSIEH 台北市環保局，今天宣布，配合環保署政策，最快明年元旦起，將擴大推行「兩袋合一」。未來台北市民，向超商等購買的購物袋，也可以當垃圾袋使用。環保局評估，1年可以省下，2千萬個塑膠袋，不過，台北市跟新北市，不可以，跨市使用。 民眾到超商，要購買可以二次使用的購物袋，店員細心告知有兩種尺寸，價格也不同。這個袋子，使用完後，也可以當垃圾袋，可是只能在台北市丟棄。 ==民眾 岳小姐== 他是有點不便利 因為侷限於只是在台北市這樣 對 去到外縣市的話 就可能造成 更不方便 ==民眾 劉小姐== 有時候會希望 就是購物方便的話 如果東西太多 又忘了帶環保袋的話 可能會購買這樣子 北市環保局統計，台北市民一年的塑膠袋用量，平均每年每人用掉782個塑膠袋；而超商等業者，每年約賣出2500到2600萬個塑膠袋，數量很驚人，所以，北市府決定最快明年元旦開始，將擴大推行「兩袋合一」政策。但目前只有雙北推行，礙於兩市的袋子顏色、垃圾隨袋徵收費用不同，所以兩用袋不能跨市丟棄。 ==台北市環保局長 劉銘龍== 他如果到台北市來購物 我覺得還是 我們環保單位常呼籲 購物可以自備環保的購物袋 那如果說 他真的有這個需要 他要帶回去之後 我想就是說 可能他也把這樣的袋子 給台北市的朋友來用 但未來是否可以跨市？北市府說還要再研議。北市環保局預估，新制上路後，1年可省2000萬個塑膠袋；厚度相當於5.3座台北101；長度約可環島台灣8.8圈；重量約50頭大象重，也希望民眾購物，最好自行攜帶購物袋，減少塑膠袋的使用量。 記者 陳佳鑫 謝其文 台北報導