The vast majority — some 80 percent — of Taiwan residents have already formed the habit of using fewer plastic bags as the result of the promotion of a drive to cut consumption of plastic bags which began in 2002, the EPA reported.

Four years after the program was launched in Taipei and expanded islandwide, some 77 percent of Taiwan residents now use as few plastic bags as possible.

Over over 70 percent said they now bring their own shopping bags when they go to supermarkets or discount grocery chain stores for shopping, according to the results of a poll conducted by the EPA last month.

A total of 43 percent of shoppers carry their own shopping bags when they visit 24-hour convenience stores, while some 40 percent said they simply carry away the goods they buy with their bare hands, according to the poll.

Only about 20 percent of Taiwan residents carried their own plastic bags with them to go shopping prior to 2002 when the plastic bag reduction program was launched, EPA officials said.

Although the prohibition on bistros and eateries providing plastic bags free of charge was lifted in May, some 45 percent of people who go to bistros or eateries do not use the plastic bags provided by the sellers, the poll shows.

Meanwhile, nearly 20 percent of the respondents said they now carry their own chopsticks, spoons, bowls, forks or other tableware like cups or even plates when they go out for meals, EPA officials said.

Another 15.3 percent said they occasionally carry their own tableware when eating out.

The poll also found that women aged between 45 and 59 with education backgrounds of college or higher form the demographic group with the highest percentage of individuals who carry their own tableware when eating out.

The EPA conducted the poll on adults selected randomly around the island via telephone between Nov. 14-17, receiving 1,104 valid responses. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

EPA officials expect the conservation habit will spread among the local population under the government’s continuous promotion campaigns.

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