All articles & guides

Littering and illegal dumping in Taiwan

Taiwan does one thing differently from most countries here. Rather than a general formula about discarding waste in undesignated places, the statute lists the conduct item by item, down to betel nut juice and chewing gum.

Last updated: 2026-08-30

What article 27 lists

Article 27 of the Waste Disposal Act prohibits the following within designated cleaning areas.

  • Spitting, including betel nut juice and betel nut residue
  • Discarding paper scraps, cigarette ends and chewing gum
  • Discarding fruit or its peel, stones, juice or pulp
  • Discarding other general waste
  • Soiling the ground, ponds, ditches, walls, columns, poles, trees, roads, bridges or other fixtures on land

Why that drafting is worth noticing

Most countries in this programme use a general clause: discarding waste other than in a designated place. That leaves more room for argument.

Taiwan enumerates the conduct, which makes the scope clearer: spitting betel nut juice and leaving a bag of rubbish are different subparagraphs of the same article, not a debatable margin.

The list of what may be soiled is given too, including walls, poles and trees, so it is not limited to the ground.

The fine range

A breach of article 27 carries a fine of NT$1,200 to NT$100,000.

That is the widest single band in this programme, and it covers conduct ranging from spitting to large-scale dumping. The actual amount depends on the circumstances and the local competent authority’s discretion.

Collection arrangements differ by county and city

Collection is a local responsibility, and counties and cities differ on designated bags, per-bag charging and how the collection rounds work.

We are not writing the details here, because getting them wrong is worse than omitting them. Your local environmental protection bureau’s announcements are the authority, particularly after moving between counties.

What does not vary: waste has to be handed over at the designated place or in the designated way. On the ground beside a bin does not count as having been collected.

Who to report to

  • The county or city environmental protection bureau, the competent authority under the act
  • The district cleaning team, the most direct route for accumulated waste
  • The police, if you saw who dumped it or noted a plate
  • If there is fire, smoke or leaking liquid, that is an emergency rather than an ordinary report

What a useful report contains

  • Precise location, ideally with coordinates. On a farm track or open ground an address rarely helps
  • Two photos, one close enough to show what the waste is and one wide enough to find the place again
  • The type: construction waste, furniture, tyres, garden waste, drums, asbestos sheeting
  • Approximate quantity, with something in shot for scale
  • The date, and how long it has been accumulating if you know
  • Origin clues visible without searching: delivery notes, labels, company names. There is no need to go through the waste

What not to do

  • Do not clear it before reporting and photographing, or the evidence disappears
  • Do not touch drums, sealed bags or boards that might contain asbestos
  • Do not follow or confront whoever is dumping. Noting the plate and passing it on is enough
  • Do not add to the pile. One dumping spot brings more within days

Why a public record helps

A cleared place becomes a dumping spot again with surprising regularity, for structural reasons: vehicles can get in, nobody sees at night, and the lawful collection point is too far.

One report buys one clearance. A record of the same place with dates and photographs is a different thing: it is the basis for requesting a barrier, a camera, signage or a nearer collection point. On CleanSpot each report keeps its photo, date and coordinates on a public map, and reopening the same place accumulates that record.

It does not replace reporting to the environmental protection bureau or the cleaning team, and we do not say otherwise. It supplies the evidence the process usually lacks.

Sources

What is the fine for littering in Taiwan?

A breach of article 27 of the Waste Disposal Act carries NT$1,200 to NT$100,000, with the actual amount depending on the circumstances and the authority’s discretion.

Is spitting betel nut juice really covered?

Yes. Article 27 expressly lists spitting, including betel nut juice and residue, among the prohibited acts.

Does it only cover the ground?

No. The article also lists ponds, ditches, walls, columns, poles, trees, roads, bridges and other fixtures on land.

Are bag and collection rules the same everywhere in Taiwan?

No, they are a local responsibility. Follow your county or city environmental protection bureau, especially after moving between counties.

Can I clear it myself?

Not before reporting and photographing it, or the evidence is lost. And do not touch drums or boards that might contain asbestos.