Taiwan to Ban PVC in Food and Feed Packaging from July 1, 2023

Following the PVC packaging ban in South Korea and New Zealand, Taiwan recently announced to ban the manufacturing, importation and sales of certain products whose a) plate packaging material and b) containers & non-plate disposable tableware containers that shall be recycled containing polyvinylchloride (PVC) from July 1, 2023.

According to Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), such products include:

• Animal feed

• Food products, excluding health food. [Notes: Health food in Taiwan is similar to the product category called health supplement in other regions. Considering this ban will result in a change of package, the R&D of alternative materials, the necessity to redo the product stability test, etc., health food is excluded from this ban.]

• Dairy products

• Condiment, vinegar, salt

• Edible oil and fat

• Beverage

• Prepackaged drinking water: mineral water, pure water, distilled water, etc.

• Alcoholic drink

• Medicinal liquor

• Oral solutions of amino acids and several vitamins

For above products manufactured or imported before July 1, 2023, whose plate packaging material, recyclable containers and non-plate disposable tableware containers containing PVC, they are not influenced by this ban.

EPA denoted that, “At present, all involved industries have available alternative materials to replace PVC. Taiwan can expect to reduce 79 metric tons of PVC food packaging every year.”