00:03Hot soup takeout in a plastic bowl carried in a plastic bag.
00:08The cheap, durable, disposable material has become an essential part of everyday life in Taiwan.
00:14But as war in the Middle East cuts the global supply of petroleum,
00:18the wrong material for plastics, many vendors are worried about their businesses.
00:22Our customers tell me that 3 months away, we don't know about 3 months after 3 months.
00:27We're afraid we won't be able to do it.
00:28The economy ministry says it has rerouted oil shipments through the Red Sea
00:33to avoid conflict in the Middle East.
00:36And the staple supply will bump domestic plastic production to make up for the shortage.
00:44But some environmental groups say the country already has enough plastic.
01:00Lawmakers also question whether producing more plastic will go against the country's ongoing efforts to reduce its use.
01:07To that, the environment minister responded that the two ministry solutions are for separate issues.
01:13If we buy anything in the market, we don't have anyĺˇ‘č† č˘‹.
01:18The people'sçż’ć…Ł of change is huge. We must understand.
01:23But we have to reduce the use of the use.
01:26So we encourage people to use a two-hand corner袋.
01:28Because people will use a protective袋, but we don't think it's enough.
01:33Since 2018, the environment ministry has rolled out a policy to phase out certain plastic products,
01:39including straws and plastic packaging.
01:42But years later, few of those goals have been reached, and plastic waste abounds.
02:07A potential plastic shortage may offer people in Taiwan a chance to rethink their usage and habits.
02:13But whether that happens is still up in the air.
02:15Yuan Duan and Irene Lin for Taiwan Plus.
Comments