Under the new rules, no PVC plastic will be allowed in online retailers' packaging, while wrappers containing more than 90 percent recycled paper in natural colors or plastic packaging with more than 25 percent reusable plastic should be prioritized.
In addition, rules on how much packaging can be used will differ depending on how big an online retailer is.
Retailers with more than NT$50 million (US$1.61 million) in paid-in capital are subject to a packaging-to-product weight ratio of less than 40 percent for products weighing between 250 g and 1 kg, under 30 percent for goods weighing 1 kg to less than 3 kg, and under 15 percent for goods weighing over 3 kg.
Retailers with at least NT$150 million in paid-in capital will be required to achieve a 25 percent reduction in packaging by 2024, followed by 30 percent by 2025 and 35 percent by 2026.
Some 2 percent of the packaging materials used in products sold in 2024 must be reusable, a ratio that will go up to 8.5 percent by 2025 and 15 percent by 2026.
Retailers that do not meet waste weight reduction requirements will be subject to fines between NT$30,000 to NT$150,000 and be required to change their packaging in a timely manner, said Wang Yueh-bin (王嶽斌), executive director of the EPA Recycling Fund Management Board.
The new rules will not be applied to individuals who sell goods through online marketplaces, Wang said.
According to statistics, online retail sales of general goods in Taiwan grew from NT$228.3 billion in 2017 to NT$430.3 billion last year, and used an estimated 220 million bags and boxes, generating about 50,000 metric tons of packaging waste.
