
Keelung to raise littering fine to NT$4,800 from 2026
Starting in the new year, Keelung is planning to raise the fine for littering from NT$3,600 to NT$4,800 in a bid to become a trash-free city. The head of the local environmental protection bureau said that cigarette butts are the most commonly littered item at an estimated 70% of the total. The bureau is therefore providing bags for smokers to put their butts in instead of throwing them on the ground.
When the garbage truck comes, it’s time to take out the trash. If everyone followed the rules and disposed of their garbage in trucks or cans, there wouldn’t be any issue. But of course, there are always people who don’t follow the rules. So Keelung decided that starting in the new year, it would raise fines for littering.
Resident
It’s better this way. There won’t be litter everywhere. It’ll definitely help. If the fines are steep, people won’t do it.
Resident
There will always be lots of people who litter. Can’t do anything about it. Those people will keep littering. They’ll gamble on whether they’ll get caught or get off scot-free.
Starting on Jan. 1, 2026, Keelung is to raise the fine for littering from NT$3,600 to NT$4,800. Ma Chung-hao, director of the Keelung Environmental Protection Bureau, estimates that about 70% of littered items are cigarette butts, while the remaining 30% are trash, chewed betel nut, and other items.
Ma Chung-hao
Keelung environmental protection director
Although cigarette butts appear small, they’re often the culprits behind clogged drains and sewer blockages. They also aren’t very biodegradable and contain numerous toxins. So we’re especially asking smokers to please not litter cigarette butts and instead collect them to throw away.
To help smokers avoid littering, the bureau is providing bags for cigarette butts that people can bring with them while out smoking.
For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53
#litter #fines #environment #Keelung #smoking #cigarettebutts #garbage #trash #environmentalprotection
2025-12-26