Xiaoliuqiu implements a "no-plastic guest" policy, banning businesses from providing single-use items

Text / Upstream and Downstream reporter Lin Peijun

With its unique coral reef island terrain and rich marine life, Xiaoliuqiu attracts a large number of tourists every year. The booming tourism industry has brought a heavy environmental burden. Local elementary school teachers and students, businesses and residents have taken the initiative to launch environmental improvement actions, calling on tourists to reduce their use of plastic products. The Environmental Protection Administration also proposed five major measures yesterday, requiring businesses to no longer provide disposable toiletries and encouraging tourists to bring their own eco-friendly tableware, hoping to work together to build Xiaoliuqiu into a "plastic-free, low-carbon" demonstration island.

Promoting eco-friendly hotels: no single-use toiletries to be provided for accommodation in the future

Environmental Protection Administration Director-General Li Yingyuan pointed out that nearly one million visitors pour into Xiaoliuqiu every year, and the annual waste output has already exceeded 19 million tonnes, causing serious harm to the local environment and ocean. The Environmental Protection Administration announced yesterday (the 23rd) that it will promote the "Xiaoliuqiu Plastic-Free / Low-Carbon Island Demonstration Plan." Aiming at the two major goals of reducing plastic products and lowering carbon emissions, Director-General Li Yingyuan said that Xiaoliuqiu should be built into a "plastic-free travel" tourism environment, including requiring local homestay operators to no longer provide single-use toiletries to tourists, and food and beverage operators to no longer supply disposable tableware to dine-in customers. He also pointed out that the Environmental Protection Administration plans to guide all local homestays into low-carbon eco-friendly hotels within two years.

On the goal of beautifying the environment, the Environmental Protection Administration will set up water dispensers in various places around Xiaoliuqiu and encourage the public to bring their own water bottles. Li Yingyuan pointed out that if one million tourists who come to Xiaoliuqiu for sightseeing each year all buy a bottle of bottled water, 100 waste plastic bottles will be created, stressing that "reducing plastic and carbon must start at the source."

In addition, Xiaoliuqiu currently has only one wastewater treatment plant, making it difficult to handle the annual volume of wastewater and causing a huge impact on the local environment. In response, Li Yingyuan promised to add two more wastewater treatment plants at "Shanbanwan Settlement" and "Zhong'ao Beach Settlement," and said, "There is no problem adding three more if necessary." At the same time, the government will also promote riding electric scooters, hoping to improve air quality. However, the first round of subsidy plans covers only 350 electric scooters purchased. Some local residents said, "There are nearly 10,000 residents on the island. 350 is simply not enough!"

Businesses: residents have long been reducing waste on their own initiative

Li Yingyuan said that Xiaoliuqiu is the only coral reef island in Taiwan, China, and everyone should work together to protect it. A friendly environment requires cooperation from both residents and tourists. "It may be a little inconvenient, but I believe consumers will still support it."

However, some homestay operators in Xiaoliuqiu believe that the government has long promoted tourism and hoped to drive local industrial development, yet has ignored the problems of ecological destruction and environmental pollution. Compared with the fact that most local residents had already launched beach cleanups and promoted waste reduction on their own initiative, they felt somewhat helpless in the face of the Environmental Protection Administration's pledge, saying, "Why is the government only coming in now?"