Tainan implements five autonomous regulations, becoming Taiwan's first city to ban polystyrene cups

2025/8/11 16:04:29

      Original title: Tainan Implements Five Autonomous Regulations to Move Towards a Low-Carbon Healthy City 

      Southeast Network, January 7th - According to Taiwan media reports, the Environmental Protection Bureau of Tainan City Government is promoting a low-carbon city and has announced the implementation of 5 autonomous regulations including the "Tainan Low-Carbon City Autonomous Regulation", making it the first city in the country to ban polystyrene cups and tableware. To welcome the new year, the Environmental Protection Bureau calls on citizens to cooperate with environmental protection policies, abide by the newly formulated autonomous regulations, take the initiative to clean up the environment, beautify the city appearance, and work together to realize a healthy, non-toxic and clean home.

      The autonomous regulations announced and implemented by the Environmental Protection Bureau are: "Tainan Advertising Management Autonomous Regulation", "Tainan Low-Carbon City Autonomous Regulation", "Tainan Environmental Sanitation Autonomous Regulation", "Tainan Abandoned Vehicle Handling Autonomous Regulation" and "Tainan Vacant Land and House Management Autonomous Regulation". The "Tainan Advertising Management Autonomous Regulation" stipulates that the installation of advertisements and the hanging of flag advertisements shall comply with the regulations. The applicant, manager, owner of the installation location or owner of the vehicle of the advertisement shall be responsible for the maintenance and management of the advertisement. In particular, no unlicensed vehicles may be used to display advertisements. Those who violate the regulations and fail to clean up within 2 days after notification shall be treated as abandoned vehicles, and the vehicle manager or owner shall be fined 3,000 yuan (New Taiwan dollars, the same below) to 15,000 yuan.

    The "Tainan Low-Carbon City Autonomous Regulation" stipulates that, except as otherwise provided by law, stores in Tainan shall not provide polystyrene or other beverage cups and tableware that are announced by the municipal government as likely to pollute the environment. Those who violate the regulations for the second time or more shall be fined not less than 1,200 yuan and not more than 6,000 yuan, and shall be ordered to make improvements within a time limit.

    The "Tainan Environmental Sanitation Autonomous Regulation" stipulates that it is prohibited to pile up sundries and recyclables in fire lanes or fire separations. Those who paint, whitewash, draw, graffiti, hang, place or post advertisements on roads or fixtures, which affect the city's appearance, shall be improved by the polluter; if the polluter is unknown, the manager or owner shall restore the original state, or the land owner, building owner or user shall clean it up. That is to say, the manager of the road or fixture with illegal small advertisements has the obligation to remove the illegal small advertisements. Those who fail to remove or randomly pile up sundries and recyclables after being notified by the environmental protection authority may be fined 1,200 yuan to 6,000 yuan.

    The "Tainan Abandoned Vehicle Handling Autonomous Regulation" stipulates that vehicles occupying roads or other places open to the public for passage and activities, if identified as abandoned vehicles, shall have a cleaning notice posted in a prominent place on the vehicle body. If no one cleans them up within 7 days after posting, they shall be moved to a designated place for storage first. After the abandoned vehicle is moved by the Environmental Protection Bureau, the vehicle owner shall pay the vehicle relocation fee and storage fee before reclaiming it.

    The "Tainan Vacant Land and House Management Autonomous Regulation" stipulates that if the owner, manager or user of vacant land or houses fails to mow weeds over 100 cm in height, remove waste soil and waste, or randomly pile up items that hinder public safety, environmental sanitation or are otherwise detrimental to the city's appearance in accordance with regulations, and fails to improve within the time limit after notification, they shall be fined not less than 3,600 yuan and not more than 30,000 yuan; if they still fail to improve after the deadline, they may be fined repeatedly.