Taipei City Government

On May 17, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that statistics indicate that illegal disposal of household garbage at public trash bins have seen a gradual drop over the past 3 years (2020 – 2022). It attributed the decline to increased awareness on maintaining a clean appearance for the city and strengthening of moral values among the public. The agency will continue to dispatch patrols and utilize tech-based enforcement to crack down on the illegal disposal of household garbage.

According to DEP, those disposing of household garbage at public trash bins will face penalties under the Waste Disposal Act. Violators can be fined between NT$1,200 and NT$6,000. Figures showed that the number of such violation cited for each of the past 3 years are as follows: 5598 (2020), 4,916 (2021), and 3,669 (2022).

The agency pointed out that Taipei City Government implements a per-bag trash collection fee program for the removal of household garbage. Taking the example of a 14L bag, each bag costs MT$5 – compared to the fine of illegal disposal of household waste which starts at NT$1,200. The minimal fine costs as much as buying 240 trash bags. Therefore, it makes little sense to risk the fines, which is enough to pay for 240 days’ worth of garbage disposal for standard households.

Roadside public trash bins are provided for the convenience of pedestrians who may need to throw away small items or food waste as they hurry by. These garbage cans can be found near bus stops, MRT stations, night markets, and other tourist attractions that attract crowds. Unfortunately, there are people who take advantage of this by throwing away their household trash late in the night or early morning, which infringes upon the rights of pedestrians and disrupting the environment.

DEP reminds the public not to dispose of household garbage at public trash bins. Individuals who see such violation taking place should call 1999 and report the incident to DEP.