Don't Just Throw Away Light Raincoats! Wrong Disposal Could Cost You NT$6,000! A Simple Way to Identify Correct Recycling

Light raincoats made of a single plastic material and that are clean belong to the 'waste plastic' resource recycling category. If you throw them directly into the general trash and get reported, you could be fined up to NT$6,000 according to the 'Waste Disposal Act'. To avoid fines and practice environmental protection, please follow these two disposal methods based on the condition of your raincoat: Scenario 1: Clean, with no obvious dirt (Recycle as Resource) Thin, transparent or colored light raincoats commonly found in convenience stores are essentially large plastic bags. Before discarding, be sure to complete the following steps before handing them over to the recycling truck: • Remove non-plastic components: You must first cut off any elastic cords, drawstrings, cotton strings, or non-plastic parts from the raincoat and discard them in the general trash. • Confirm single material: Once confirmed to be a single plastic material without severe mud or oil stains, fold the entire piece and hand it over for recycling. Scenario 2: Severely soiled, or a regular thick raincoat (Dispose as General Waste) If any of the following conditions apply, please dispose of it directly as general waste, put it in a trash bag (use designated trash bags in the Taipei and New Taipei City areas), and hand it to the garbage truck: • Contamination: The raincoat has heavy oil stains, hard-to-remove mud, or large patches of dirt. • Regular thick raincoats: Thick raincoats commonly worn when riding motorcycles, two-piece waterproof suits, or raincoats with zippers, buttons, or reflective strips. These contain composite materials like nylon, and unless they have a specific plastic recycling symbol (numbers 1-6) printed on them, they cannot be recycled.