Ahead of World Oceans Day, Premier Cho Jung-tai Announces Five-Pronged Approach to Microplastic Management
Premier Cho Jung-tai announced on June 4 that the government will comprehensively enhance microplastic management through five key directions: source reduction, scientific monitoring, circular use, marine debris cleanup, and international alignment. The Ministry of Environment and the Ocean Affairs Council have established a six-year baseline for marine microplastic monitoring and mobilized enterprises and citizens to remove large amounts of marine debris.
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- 📰 Published: June 4, 2026 at 17:02
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(CNA Reporter Lai Yu-chen, Kao Hua-chien, Taipei, June 4) June 8 is the United Nations-designated World Oceans Day. Premier Cho Jung-tai said today that most microplastics end up in the ocean. To leave a clean ocean for the next generation, the government must comprehensively advance microplastic management through five major directions: source reduction, scientific monitoring, circular use, marine debris cleanup, and international alignment.
The Executive Yuan meeting today approved the "Establishment of a National Microplastic Monitoring and Defense Line" report by the Ministry of Environment and the Ocean Affairs Council. The Ocean Affairs Council stated that through actions such as scientific monitoring, removal and interception, circular use, and international cooperation, it has established a six-year baseline of marine microplastic monitoring data. It has also recruited over 6,600 "Environmental Protection Fleet" vessels and 6,000 "Sea Warriors" to remove up to 19,000 metric tons of floating and seabed waste through public-private collaboration, preventing plastic from breaking down into microplastic marine debris at the source.
The Ocean Affairs Council said it has also partnered with 77 companies to form the "Marine Debris Recycling Alliance," promoting an ocean-friendly label to practice the circular economy. Simultaneously, it is using AI technology to build a marine debris image dataset platform, actively aligning with international standards and exporting smart governance technology.
The Ministry of Environment is tackling marine debris from the land side. The ministry said it continues to improve land-based detection capabilities and standardize methods. The detection rate and concentration of microplastics in tap water from Taiwan's large-scale water treatment plants are significantly better than the global average found in international organization surveys. It has also collaborated with nine ministries and 19 local governments to promote coastal cleanup and source reduction, removing approximately 362,000 metric tons of marine debris from 2010 to 2025.
The Ministry of Environment stated that the Resource Recycling Promotion Act has passed its third reading, officially elevating Taiwan's plastic reduction thinking to a new milestone of "full life-cycle management."
Executive Yuan Spokesperson Lee Hui-chih, at a press conference after the Executive Yuan meeting, relayed that after hearing the report, Premier Cho pointed out that Taiwan is an ocean nation. The ocean is crucial for leisure, recreation, and economic activities, but it is also the final destination for most microplastics. To leave a cleaner ocean for the next generation and fulfill the generational responsibility of ocean governance, the Ministry of Environment and the Ocean Affairs Council are joining forces "on land and sea" to jointly build a national microplastic monitoring and defense line. This action echoes this year's UN World Oceans Day theme, "Reimagine," demonstrating Taiwan's determination to transform into a responsibility-oriented governance model.
Premier Cho said the government will continue to advance microplastic monitoring and management through the five major directions of source reduction, scientific monitoring, circular use, marine debris cleanup, and international alignment, to protect the ocean and open a sustainable chapter for the next generation. (Editor: Zhai Sijia) 1150604
The Executive Yuan meeting today approved the "Establishment of a National Microplastic Monitoring and Defense Line" report by the Ministry of Environment and the Ocean Affairs Council. The Ocean Affairs Council stated that through actions such as scientific monitoring, removal and interception, circular use, and international cooperation, it has established a six-year baseline of marine microplastic monitoring data. It has also recruited over 6,600 "Environmental Protection Fleet" vessels and 6,000 "Sea Warriors" to remove up to 19,000 metric tons of floating and seabed waste through public-private collaboration, preventing plastic from breaking down into microplastic marine debris at the source.
The Ocean Affairs Council said it has also partnered with 77 companies to form the "Marine Debris Recycling Alliance," promoting an ocean-friendly label to practice the circular economy. Simultaneously, it is using AI technology to build a marine debris image dataset platform, actively aligning with international standards and exporting smart governance technology.
The Ministry of Environment is tackling marine debris from the land side. The ministry said it continues to improve land-based detection capabilities and standardize methods. The detection rate and concentration of microplastics in tap water from Taiwan's large-scale water treatment plants are significantly better than the global average found in international organization surveys. It has also collaborated with nine ministries and 19 local governments to promote coastal cleanup and source reduction, removing approximately 362,000 metric tons of marine debris from 2010 to 2025.
The Ministry of Environment stated that the Resource Recycling Promotion Act has passed its third reading, officially elevating Taiwan's plastic reduction thinking to a new milestone of "full life-cycle management."
Executive Yuan Spokesperson Lee Hui-chih, at a press conference after the Executive Yuan meeting, relayed that after hearing the report, Premier Cho pointed out that Taiwan is an ocean nation. The ocean is crucial for leisure, recreation, and economic activities, but it is also the final destination for most microplastics. To leave a cleaner ocean for the next generation and fulfill the generational responsibility of ocean governance, the Ministry of Environment and the Ocean Affairs Council are joining forces "on land and sea" to jointly build a national microplastic monitoring and defense line. This action echoes this year's UN World Oceans Day theme, "Reimagine," demonstrating Taiwan's determination to transform into a responsibility-oriented governance model.
Premier Cho said the government will continue to advance microplastic monitoring and management through the five major directions of source reduction, scientific monitoring, circular use, marine debris cleanup, and international alignment, to protect the ocean and open a sustainable chapter for the next generation. (Editor: Zhai Sijia) 1150604