TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said Monday the city will track demand over the next few days before deciding whether to increase funding for its home food waste machine subsidy program.

CNA reported that the city began offering a NT$5,000 (US$160) subsidy per machine starting Thursday, with the program capped at 10,000 units. Online applications opened Friday, and heavy traffic briefly slowed the system.

Lu said about 5,000 residents completed applications within three days, showing strong demand. Under city rules, buyers must first purchase the machine and then upload receipts and warranty cards, meaning thousands have already paid upfront.

“Taichung offers the largest number of subsidized food waste machines in Taiwan and is the only one of the six special municipalities running such a program,” the mayor noted. Lu said the city will review application trends before deciding whether to raise the cap.

UDN reported that the program follows a central government ban on feeding household food waste to pigs, pushing cities to find new ways to handle kitchen scraps. Taichung officials said food waste machines suit urban areas by cutting waste at the source and processing it on site.

KMT Taichung City Councilor Chen Wen-cheng (陳文政) said demand far exceeded expectations and showed residents are ready to deal with food waste at home. Another KMT councilor, Chiu Ai-shan (邱愛珊), said good policies deserve more funding and urged the city to roll out a second round of subsidies.