Environmental Management Administration

Work with community development associations and civil organizations to jointly promote environmental education, including public outreach on policies related to keeping cigarette butts off the ground.

Collaborate with eco-labeled hotels and travel operators to promote the cigarette butts off the ground policy to tourists participating in travel itineraries and to assist in maintaining the cleanliness of the surrounding environment of their business premises.

Promote the “Environmentally Friendly Business Adoption Initiative.” As of 2023, more than 20,000 businesses nationwide had joined the program, including over 6,744 chain convenience stores and coffee shops. Participating businesses voluntarily maintain the cleanliness of the areas surrounding their premises to reduce litter in the environment caused by cigarette butts and other waste and to decrease cigarette butt littering on streets. The initiative is also integrated with corporate social responsibility and environmental, social, and governance efforts.

A memorandum of understanding has been signed with the Tzu Chi Foundation to jointly promote environmental education, including public awareness campaigns on cigarette butts off the ground and related policies. The Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum has fully prohibited visitors from bringing in outside food and from smoking, eating meat, drinking alcohol, or chewing betel nut, and will cooperate with the Ministry of Environment in promoting cigarette butts off the ground.

April 22 of each year is Earth Day. The theme for 2025 is “Our Power, Our Planet,” calling on the public to pay greater attention to environmental sustainability. Taking this opportunity, a nationwide campaign was launched, focusing on three key issues: street cleanliness, cigarette butt pollution, and dengue fever prevention.

On April 19, the “Team Planet: Support the Earth, Go Clean!” initiative was launched, bringing together businesses, social organizations, and environmental volunteers from all sectors. All 22 counties and cities nationwide participated, mobilizing nearly 50,000 people to conduct synchronized environmental cleanup activities throughout Taiwan. In just one hour, participants removed more than 100,000 kilograms of waste, 20,000 kilograms of recyclable materials, and 5 million cigarette butts. They also conducted on-site inspections and removal of standing-water containers, demonstrating the power of collective environmental action.

This campaign focused on cleanup and prevention measures for the following three environmental issues:

• A.Environmental cleanup: priority areas included streets, alleys, bridge approaches, flood-control roads, irrigation canals, and other litter-prone locations.
• B.Cigarette butt collection: efforts were concentrated in areas such as roadsides, drainage ditches, convenience stores, barbecue restaurants, stir-fry restaurants, izakayas, parking lots, transportation hubs, and hospitals (including animal hospitals).
• C.Inspect, empty, clean, and scrub water containers: comprehensive inspections and treatment of mosquito breeding sources were carried out, including:
  • Inspecting items and locations prone to holding water, such as flower vases, plant saucers, discarded tires, and air-conditioner drip trays.
  • Emptying standing water and keeping areas dry.
  • Removing unnecessary containers and waste items.
  • Thoroughly scrubbing containers to prevent mosquito egg breeding.

Through this campaign, the public was encouraged to begin with everyday actions, recognizing that every individual can be a force for change. The goal is to make environmental stewardship a part of daily life and to work together in creating a clean, healthy, and sustainable living environment.

On World Environment Day, 2025, the Ministry of Environment (MOENV) and the Junior Chamber International Taiwan (JCI Taiwan) jointly held the “City Streets Illumination Project” awards ceremony and results presentation, showcasing achievements in promoting the “Cigarette Butts Off the Ground” initiative. During the event, certificates of appreciation and awards were presented to publicity ambassadors and initiative representatives from JCI Taiwan chapters in recognition of youths’ contributions to urban cleanliness and environmental protection.

The MOENV and JCI Taiwan signed the “Cigarette Butts Off the Ground to Beautify the Environment” memorandum of understanding on Jan. 12, 2025, initiating the “City Streets Illumination Project.” The project connected 153 JCI chapters across Taiwan, bringing community and school partners onto the streets to take action in support of the principles of “Clean your own cigarette butts; no smoking while walking.” In just one and a half months after the project began on April 15, 2025, over 860,000 cigarette butts were picked up across Taiwan, demonstrating its impact.

In July 2017, the MOENV (formerly the Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan), together with environmental civil organizations, established the Taiwan Marine Debris Governance Platform. Through intensive information exchange and multilateral discussions, the platform developed the third edition of the “Taiwan Marine Debris Governance Action Plan,” comprising 42 implementation measures under five major areas: source reduction, recycling and alternatives, end-of-pipe interception and removal, research and investigation of marine debris status, impacts, and policies, and expanded cooperation and participation.

To effectively address the diverse and complex issues associated with marine debris, environmental civil organizations have been extensively invited to participate in discussions. The number of participating organizations has now reached 13, including the Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association, Taiwan, Taiwan Environmental Information Association, Hiin Studio, Society of Wilderness, iocean Foundation, Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation, Greenpeace Foundation, Kuroshio Ocean Education Foundation, Taiwan Watch Institute, Zero Waste Taiwan, Taiwan Cetacean Society, Rethink Taiwan, and Citizens Association for Public Policies.