TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — To celebrate World Environment Day on June 5, FamilyMart said Wednesday (May 29) that it is partnering with Re-Think Environmental Education Association to launch a three-year environmental education program.

According to a FamilyMart press release, the company will implement two main principles: reducing plastic in packaging and sustainability in life. The plan aims to transform over 4,200 FamilyMart stores into environmental education hubs and extend recycling education to all age groups, the company said.

In April, FamilyMart and Re-Think conducted a large-scale survey on recycling literacy among convenience store members, collecting over 10,000 responses.

The survey revealed that over 90% of consumers believe that convenience stores can help with environmental protection, but there are widespread misconceptions about recycling. For example, many people believed that electronic receipts can be recycled as paper when they should be classified as general waste, the company explained.

Meanwhile, FamilyMart is piloting experimental garbage bins in its stores, clearly marking what can be disposed of as general and recyclable waste, per CNA. These experimental bins will be rolled out to 20 stores this year.

Re-Think cofounder Huang Chih-yang (黃之揚) said the aim is to incorporate environmental education into business, school, and government systems. 

“Through this collaboration with FamilyMart, we have designed recycling education packages for schools, hoping to bring environmental education into campuses and convenience stores across Taiwan,” Huang said.