To promote plastic recycling, the Ministry of Environment's Resource and Waste Management Agency announced on the 9th that plastic container products that meet the three key elements of green design—single material, simple color, small labeling, and use at least 25% recycled content—will receive a discount of up to 30% on plastic recycling and disposal fees. The new preferential rates are expected to be legalized in the first half of 2024 and implemented in the second half of the same year. Environmental groups believe that promoting recycled containers is the most effective way to reduce resource consumption and carbon emissions.
Front-end design must take back-end recycling into consideration
The Ministry of Environment (formerly the Environmental Protection Administration) announced the "Key Points for Promoting the Use of Recycled Plastic Products in Non-Filled Food Products" at the end of 2022, encouraging businesses to use recycled materials. To date, nine types of recycled plastic products have passed review. The National Resources and Recycling Administration (NRRA) is now offering a "Green Rate" incentive for plastic container products, encouraging businesses to voluntarily adopt green designs or use recycled materials.
In terms of green design, requirements include using a single material, primary or transparent color, and no label, or a label height less than/equal to 30% of the bottle's height. Regarding the use of recycled materials, approval must be obtained through the Ministry of Environment's Key Points for Promoting Recycled Plastic Products for Non-Filled Foods and through the Ministry of Health and Welfare's PET recycled pellets for food containers and packaging. Meeting either of these requirements will result in a 15% discount on the original rate; meeting both requirements will result in a 30% discount.
Xu Xiangrui, manager of the Plastics Industry Technology Development Center, stated that single materials are more complex to recycle. Mixing different materials requires more manpower and investment in sorting, which reduces recycling willingness. After plastic has been recycled several times, it accumulates impurities and darkens in color. From a recycler's perspective, white and primary-colored plastics have wider downstream uses and offer better recycling prices, while dark or black plastics have lower recycling prices, which can affect recycling willingness.
Regarding labels, he cited the example of recycling sites having to hire staff to separate labels from containers, saying, "It's not cost-effective and too expensive, and a lot of these things don't end up being recycled." He added that if recycling processes are considered during front-end design, containers will have a better chance of being recycled and reused.
Environmental groups: Recycling containers is most efficient
Wang Yuebin, Deputy Director of the National Resources and Recycling Administration, stated that based on the current plastic container recycling and disposal fee of NT$7 to NT$10 per kilogram, a 30% discount would reduce the cost by NT$2 to NT$3, equivalent to saving NT$2,000 per ton of recycled containers. It is estimated that all 15,000 plastic container recycling companies in Taiwan will benefit. Taiwan's target percentage of recycled material use is 25% by 2025 and 30% by 2030. It is projected that recycled material use will increase by 24,000 tons by 2025, resulting in a carbon reduction of 48,000 tons.
Regarding the possibility that the use of green design and recycled materials will increase costs and prices will be reflected on consumers, Wang Yuebin believes that the impact on the market will not be significant. "(Green production) must be done this way. It is a necessary trend for the future. And in the next three to five years, we will use preferential policies to encourage businesses to start. This is a necessary transformation." He also cited the example of many people bringing their own beverage cups, believing that people's environmental awareness and actions are improving.
Greenpeace campaign director Chang Kai-ting believes that adding recycled content to plastic containers isn't the best approach. "Recycling containers is the most effective way to reduce resource consumption and carbon emissions." Chen Chi-jung, director of the Taiwan Environmental Information Association's Issues Center, also stated that encouraging refilling or recycling services can effectively address the problem of disposable plastics and mass waste. Regarding the Ministry of Environment's promotion of recycled materials, she cautioned that in addition to quality and data controls, "following up, we must also be mindful of whether there are malicious attempts to produce waste materials in the market to profit from price differentials."
Sources:
Environmental Information Center
