Plastic Bag Prices Rise; Gong Ming-hsin: Affordable Project to Prioritize Inner Bags

Minister of Economic Affairs Gong Ming-hsin today chaired a symposium on 'Caring for the Current Impact of Plastic Products in Markets and Night Markets,' inviting approximately 31 representatives from various markets and night markets to attend. After the meeting, Gong Ming-hsin stated in an interview that the price increase for inner plastic bags is more significant than for outer bags. Since inner bags are mostly used for directly holding fresh food and have low substitutability, they will be prioritized under the affordable project. Outer bags, however, can be replaced by eco-friendly bags. Gong Ming-hsin also mentioned that many markets have gradually adopted the habit of using eco-friendly bags, such as the traditional 'Jia-Zhi bag,' which can effectively reduce reliance on outer bags. However, the demand for inner bags is still difficult to completely replace, requiring policy intervention to help stabilize. Gong Ming-hsin previously pointed out that CPC Corporation's fourth naphtha cracker will increase ethylene production ahead of schedule. In addition to the monthly supply of approximately 22,000 tons of polyethylene, an additional 5,000 tons will be promoted under the 'Affordable Project.' This can produce up to 1.25 billion 1-jin plastic bags, connecting upstream and downstream industries and channels to supply markets, night markets, and consumers at reasonable prices. Regarding the mechanism design of the affordable project, Gong Ming-hsin stated that the government controls the upstream supply of plastic pellets and the flow of manufacturing and channels downstream. Through about 20 participating manufacturers, a price traceability and monitoring mechanism will be established to ensure the implementation of the affordable project. Businesses can choose to obtain supplies through their original suppliers or directly report their needs to the government, with manufacturers providing the goods. As for the expected supply schedule of the affordable project, Gong Ming-hsin said that it still requires matching and production time from raw materials to finished plastic bags, and efforts will be made to shorten the supply to within one week. Regarding whether a verification mechanism for the affordable project will be established, Gong Ming-hsin said that if businesses purchase at a higher price, they can reflect it immediately. In addition, the rapid flow of information among market operators can also form a certain supervisory effect. (Editor: Lin Shu-yuan) 1150409