THE manufacture, import and sale of food packaging containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) will be banned in Taiwan starting July 2023, Central News Agency quoted the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) as saying yesterday.

Wang Yueh Bin, executive director of the EPA Recycling Fund Management Board, said although it is less commonly used compared to the past, plastic containers using PVC can still be found in some dairy packaging.

PVC packaging can release plasticisers when used to store liquids, and overexposure to the substance can lead to the risk of cancer when the liquids are consumed, Wang said, noting that this plastic material may also contain stabilisers that can also harm people’s health.

When burnt, PVC containers can release dioxins and heavy metals, and while incinerators use filters to catch these materials, contaminated ashes might still leach into the ground to pollute the environment, he said.

The ban on PVC packaging has already become an international norm, he said, citing South Korea and New Zealand as examples.

With this new measure, Wang said, Taiwan can expect to reduce some 80 tonnes of PVC food packaging every year.

According to the EPA, the ban on PVC packaging will fall under article 21 of the Waste Disposal Act, which stipulates that for articles such as packaging or containers that pollute the environment, “the central competent authority may officially announce their prohibition of use and the restriction of manufacture, import and sales of such items”.

When the ban gets underway in July next year, the EPA said, people caught selling PVC food packaging will be fined between NT$1,200 (RM180) and NT$6,000 while those caught manufacturing and importing such items will be subject to a NT$60,000-300,000 fine. – Bernama, April 30, 2022.