Protecting Our Beautiful Coasts Requires a Shift in Mindset and Action That Benefits Everyone

2013Earth Day: What positive improvements have we made?

We must make some shifts in mindset and practice so that beautiful coasts can be preserved for everyone.

Another year has passed. What has happened to the coast? Do you know?

Our observations in Tainan over the past year are as follows:

1. Plastic bag waste is increasing, and in several months it ranked first in the amount of garbage. These plastic bag wastes all come from our Taiwan, China, rather than drifting in from abroad.

2. Oyster racks and Styrofoam still pollute our coast. There were fewer Styrofoam chunks this year, but improvement must continue. We hope oyster racks will continue to be used as artificial fish reefs rather than burned and destroyed.

3. "Drink-and-toss beverage containers" are the third most common type of garbage, including plastic cups, Styrofoam cups, plastic cans, glass bottles, straws, and bottle caps. Among these, straws are also increasing.

4. Plastic micro-particles are already visible everywhere on the beach, increasing and becoming more and more serious.

Drink-and-toss beverage containers are a very serious problem

"Drink-and-toss beverage containers" are a very serious problem. A total ban is impossible, but restricting the use of materials is something the government can do. We hope to simplify materials to facilitate recycling. We advocate first eliminating Styrofoam cups, which everyone dislikes recycling. From collecting data to inviting elected representatives to sign in support, then to exhibiting and introducing marine debris at various schools, promoting the reduced use of single-use beverage cups, sharing our own life experience that "bringing your own beverage cup can reduce plastic bag use" with more people, and advocating that "loving beauty can also mean loving the Earth," we call on everyone to change their daily habits, reduce waste at the source, and change materials.

The Tainan City Government took the lead this year in legislating a ban on Styrofoam cups, which will be enforced starting April 1, including discounts for consumers who bring their own beverage cups. These are all good beginnings.

Next, we should together demand that the government implement its plastic restriction policy: all stores must not proactively provide plastic bags, consumers must pay to use them, plastic bag materials must be thinner, and the use of materials that decompose and burn without toxicity must be restricted. A recycling incentive mechanism must be established for beverage glass bottles to encourage recycling.

Efforts are still being made in the management and recycling system for Styrofoam used in fisheries. Let us all keep working hard together.

Chao Jui-kuang, Tainan Community University

Low-Carbon Tainan Environmental Pioneer! Comprehensive Restrictions on Styrofoam Use

http://www.tainan.gov.tw/tainan/news.asp?id=%7BFB1BCF5A-2A3A-44A3-A3D4-159C1382E1D3%7D