Marine debris has emerged as a critical global environmental challenge. Plastic pollution, in particular, is the most serious concern because plastic debris entering the ocean gradually fragments into microplastics that are difficult to detect with the naked eye. To tackle this issue and bolster Taiwan's overall management of microplastics, the government is building a comprehensive monitoring system and an interministerial cooperation mechanism, while progressively developing science-based strategies for microplastic management and reduction, thereby advancing marine sustainability and environmental well-being.
Five action strategies
1. Lifestyle transformation: Implement the Resource Circulation Promotion Act to reorient waste management from downstream cleanup to green design, source reduction and reuse. Promote green consumption through institutional measures to accelerate the nation's transition to a circular economy.
2. Scientific monitoring: Build a national-level microplastics monitoring network that covers drinking water, coastal debris and marine ecosystems, and generates long-term baseline datasets. Integrate smart analytics to improve pollution tracking and control.
3. Cleanup and interception: Develop a physical network to strengthen marine debris cleanup and interception mechanisms. Advance source-level reduction of microfiber pollution from laundry. Encourage public participation in marine conservation activities.
4. Circular use of resources: Promote circular economy development by establishing industrial chains for marine debris recycling, turning discarded fishing nets and other marine waste into recycled materials and high-value-added products. Continue reducing single-use plastics and promoting the reuse of beverage containers to alleviate environmental pressures on land and marine ecosystems.
5. International collaboration: Manage plastic pollution through a life-cycle approach and progressively contribute monitoring data to international marine microplastics data platforms. Advance an Indo-Pacific marine debris management platform anchored by Taiwan's first AI-assisted marine debris image database, MDImageNet, thereby boosting regional cooperation on marine governance and smart monitoring through technical exchange and experience sharing.