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Taiwan consumes 4 billion beverage cups annually. A NT$5 price difference policy is coming into effect. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates this could reduce the number of cups consumed by 580 million per year.

Bubble tea is a popular drink in Taiwan, and the shaken beverage industry is internationally renowned. However, according to the latest statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency, 4 billion disposable beverage cups are used annually in Taiwan, placing a significant burden on the recycling system. With the implementation of a NT$5 discount on bring-your-own beverage cups starting July 1st, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that this will reduce the use of beverage cups by 580 million per year, up from the current NT$1-3 discount of 150 million. Environmental Protection Agency data also shows that, unlike beverage shops, breakfast shops saw a significant increase in plastic cup use between 2019 and 2020. Environmental groups warn that breakfast shops and street vendors also use significant amounts of plastic cups and will inevitably be subject to future restrictions. They urge the government not to backtrack due to backlash and lobbying from businesses. The Chinese use 4 billion beverage cups annually, more than half of which are plastic cups, with the beverage industry using the most. In 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency calculated that 1.5 billion disposable beverage cups are used in China each year. Ten years later, the Environmental Protection Agency conducted another survey and found that a total of 3.99 billion disposable beverage cups were used in 2020, an increase of more than two times. Wang Yuebin, executive secretary of the Environmental Protection Agency's Recycling Foundation Management Committee, explained that the statistics this time include all usage statistics of "stores subject to regulations on the use of beverage cups" and "unregulated". If only regulated stores are counted, the Chinese use about 2.2 billion disposable beverage cups each year. According to the Environmental Protection Agency's "2021 Single-Use Plastic Product Source Reduction Work Plan", about 260,000 businesses were surveyed, including breakfast shops, vendors and other industries that are not regulated but have a high use of disposable beverage cups. Disposable beverage cups are made of plastic (PE, PP

2022-06-29

How to promote recycling containers besides bringing your own eco-friendly cups? Cleaning and reverse logistics systems are still lacking.

Taiwan uses up to 4 billion disposable beverage cups annually. To reduce waste at the source, new plastic restrictions, effective July 1st, will not only impose a NT$5 price difference for bringing your own beverage cups, but also require chain convenience stores and fast-food restaurants to offer free reusable cup rentals starting next year (2023). With only six months left, can reusable containers offer a viable alternative to bringing your own beverage cups? The supply chain for reusable containers encompasses manufacturing, cleaning, and logistics. Song Yizhen, co-founder of "Hao He Qi," a reusable container rental service, told the Environmental Information Center that the biggest shortage currently lies in cleaning services. Fast food restaurants and convenience stores will be required to offer free reusable cups starting in 2023. However, insufficient supply chains are hindering implementation, and Taiwan's plastic restrictions have taken another step toward banning them. Under the Environmental Protection Administration's new plastic reduction regulations, chain beverage stores, convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, and supermarkets will be required to offer a price difference of at least NT$5 between customers who bring their own beverage cups and those who don't. Not only that, starting from January 1, 2023, chain convenience stores and fast food restaurants must also complete the first phase of the goal of providing free "recyclable cup" lending services in 5% of stores. This is the first time that the concept of "using recycled containers" has been included in the regulations. At the same time, the industry is also facing a brand new market for recycled containers. At the policy discussion meeting on the restriction of beverage cups held by the Environmental Protection Agency this year, some fast food operators pointed out that the market supply is insufficient and recycled containers may face a "supply shortage" situation. Song Yizhen, co-founder of "Hao He Qi", a recycling container rental service provider, admitted that there had never been regulations in the past that included recycling containers.

2022-06-29

Changhua Bird Club and the Changhua Bird Breeding Association jointly promote local solutions to support the symbiotic relationship between fisheries and electricity.

To increase green energy generation, the Ministry of Economic Affairs is promoting "fishery-electricity symbiosis" in coastal areas. However, the public believes that while the central government has a broad policy direction, it lacks clear regulations and implementation principles. Furthermore, planning often focuses on developers, without necessarily considering fishermen and environmental sustainability. The Changhua County Wild Bird Society and the Changhua County Aquaculture Association have therefore jointly proposed a localized fishery-electricity symbiosis plan, emphasizing that it aligns with the region's aquaculture characteristics and aims to prevent industry from fully dominating the development of fishery-electricity symbiosis. The plan proposes retaining the earthen embankments between aquaculture ponds as bird habitats, concentrating photovoltaic panels on aquaculture ponds with lower light requirements, and paving sidewalks around the site to balance environmental protection, fishermen's rights, and local needs. Support green energy, but it must be worthy of the name: Changhua groups jointly promote the "local version" of fish-electricity symbiosis. The Changhua County Wild Bird Society and the Changhua County Breeding Association jointly proposed a fish-electricity symbiosis plan suitable for the local area. Today (13th), they issued a press release stating that the public expects photovoltaic panels in the "fish-electricity symbiosis" system to protect aquaculture from heavy rainfall and excessively high pond water levels in summer, and to set up windbreaks in winter to resist cold currents. At the same time, for photovoltaic panels to enter Changhua fish ponds, they must take into account the ecological environment, the fishermen's economy and the lives of local people. In recent years, the government has vigorously promoted fish-electricity symbiosis, and many people have a positive attitude because it can increase the diversified use of land. However, at present, fish-electricity symbiosis only has a central policy direction, and local governments can only passively accept development plans led by photovoltaic companies, which may not necessarily achieve sustainable land use. Li Yixin, Secretary-General of the Changhua County Wild Bird Association, said in an interview that the people of Changhua welcome

2022-06-13

ITRI survey: Purchasing energy-efficient appliances is the main carbon reduction activity in Taiwan, while younger generations show a low willingness to reduce carbon emissions.

Net zero carbon emissions have become an international trend. The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) today (10th) released the results of a survey on the “net zero sustainable behavior” of Taiwanese people. It was found that the most common carbon reduction behaviors being implemented are “purchasing products with energy-saving labels or energy efficiency labels” and “reducing the number of new clothes purchased each year by half.” The survey also pointed out that the current rate of carbon reduction behaviors and future willingness of young people aged 18 to 24 are both low. ITRI called on the government to strengthen relevant education and publicity in order to achieve the 2050 net zero carbon emission target. Taiwan’s carbon reduction behavior survey: Purchasing energy-saving label home appliances and reducing the number of new clothes purchased each year by half are the most popular behaviors. Taiwan’s goal is to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, but whether the entire society can respond and how to successfully transform has become the focus of current discussion. ITRI held the “2022 Taiwan Manufacturing Industry Outlook and Net Zero Sustainability Focus Issues Presentation” today, and released the Taiwan Net Zero Sustainable Behavior Survey [1] at the meeting to analyze the willingness of Taiwanese people to reduce carbon emissions. Lin Zhixun, Director of Energy Strategy at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), said that behavioral changes in people's daily lives are the key to initiating a net-zero transition. In order to achieve the government and industry's net-zero transition goals, it is necessary to first understand the Taiwanese people's cognition and actual behaviors regarding net-zero sustainability. The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has drawn up 20 net-zero sustainable behaviors covering aspects of life such as food, clothing, housing, transportation, entertainment, and supplies. It has sent questionnaires to adults of different age groups, asking about the current status of these behaviors and their willingness to implement them in the future. The survey found that the current execution rate of the 20 net-zero sustainable behaviors by Taiwanese people is relatively low. "When purchasing home appliances, only purchase appliances with energy-saving standards.

2022-06-10

Even those ordering food delivery are concerned about the environment. Global survey shows that simpler packaging is more appealing to consumers.

With rising environmental awareness and consumer demand for low-carbon ingredients and eco-friendly packaging, this trend is not only driving the development of plant-based meat and sustainable grain foods, but is also gradually spreading to the catering industry. What new challenges will this bring to restaurant services? Deliverect, a multinational company that develops digital catering order integration systems, released an exclusive report on April 20, 2022. After conducting a dietary survey of 7,000 consumers worldwide, they found that environmental protection and sustainability awareness are influencing consumers' demand for food. Therefore, Deliverect uses the survey results to provide restaurants with four ways to respond to improve their competitiveness. 43% of consumers are willing to pay more for restaurants to "increase sustainable ingredients." Deliverect found that although 65% of consumers believe that healthier or more sustainable ingredients are more expensive, 43% are still willing to pay for them, and 47% will even change their original orders and choose more sustainable meals. In other words, nearly half of consumers are willing and happy to pay more for environmental sustainability. Therefore, Deliverect recommends that restaurants offer more local ingredients. "Based on our order data, whether a restaurant is keeping up with the sustainability trend is becoming a key consideration for consumers when choosing a restaurant," Deliverect believes that if the restaurant industry can develop in a sustainable direction, it will align with current consumer trends and help increase restaurant sales and profits.

2022-05-27

Less than 30% of industrial waste plastics are recycled; the EPA is targeting the tech industry for improvement.

The country produces 240,000 metric tons of industrial plastic waste each year, of which only about 28% is reused. The Environmental Protection Administration is promoting industrial plastic recycling and held a press conference today (19) to promote the "resource recycling and recycling industry chain". It will first target the electronic components manufacturing industry and call on the upstream, midstream and downstream industries to improve resource recycling efficiency. The technology industry's waste plastics are diverse in form, and some items have only been incinerated in the past. The Environmental Protection Administration said that in the future, it will first focus on the technology industry and hope to increase the current plastic recycling rate of more than 65% to 75%, which is equivalent to an increase of 3,000 metric tons of recycling. Major companies such as TSMC and ASE have both called for the goal of nearly 100% waste plastic recycling. Industrial waste plastic recycling: TSMC regulates suppliers and ASE establishes a resource recycling center. The amount of waste plastics generated by domestic people's livelihood and industry is similar, but the industry is more common in composite materials, and the recycling and reuse process is relatively complicated. In terms of source management of plastic waste, the semiconductor giant TSMC has formulated a "White Paper on Supplier Material Packaging Specifications" to stipulate that all supplier packaging materials must comply with the company's recycling specifications, and cooperate with recycling companies to implement classification. Last year, 8,000 metric tons of plastic were recycled, and the resource recovery rate reached 66%. The future goal is to move towards 95%. TSMC's first "Zero Waste Manufacturing Center" in Central Taiwan Science Park will also begin operations next year. ASE will send plastic waste of different materials, sizes, and types scattered across different factories to its newly established "Circular Resource Recycling Center". After being concentrated, classified, crushed, and compressed, they will be sent to recycling companies. ASE currently has a total of 100 million plastics.

2022-04-19

Google announces sustainable action in Taiwan, launching carbon footprint calculation feature on Google Maps

Yesterday (14th), Google Taiwan announced its investment in the "Google Smart Taiwan Project" in Taiwan. This year, for the first time, it added the area of "Promoting Environmental Sustainability". In addition to the continued use of local renewable energy, it also hopes to drive the supply chain to practice sustainability and provide consumers with more low-carbon living options through technology. Google Taiwan General Manager Lin Yafang revealed that in the future, Google Maps will launch a carbon footprint calculation function to provide users with "minimum carbon emission" transportation routes. In 2007, Google became the world's first large-scale carbon neutral enterprise. In 2017, it further achieved the goal of using 100% renewable energy, and the amount of green electricity purchased exceeded the electricity consumption of its global data centers and operating bases. However, procurement alone cannot guarantee the continuous use of green electricity during periods of low green electricity generation. Therefore, Google has made a bold promise to achieve "all-weather use of renewable energy" and practice carbon-free operations by 2030. Taiwan's bases also want to achieve net zero and integrate smart technology to assist energy conservation. This carbon reduction action is of course inseparable from Taiwan. Lin Yafang, General Manager of Google Taiwan, said that in recent years, Google's scale in Taiwan has continued to grow. It not only has a global data center, but also has the largest hardware R&D base outside of the US headquarters. Therefore, this year's "Google Smart Taiwan Plan" has added the "Promoting Environmental Sustainability" area. Whether it is its own offices, data centers, or supply chain partners, all aim for net zero emissions. Jian Guofeng, Senior Director of Device Management at Google Taiwan, explained,

2022-04-15

Liren's bio-based bags for fruits and vegetables are working to reduce plastic consumption, hoping to ease restrictions on the use of recycled plastic in food packaging.

In addition to packaging vegetables, how else can food packaging reduce plastic? In 2017, organic distributor Li Ren Company developed "compostable biomass packaging" for packaging fruits and vegetables, and adopted the method of self-recycling and self-composting. So far, it has reached the third generation of biomass bags, reducing 3.5 million packages, but the recycling rate is still not ideal. In addition to developing multiple applications, such as the "compostable biomass flower pots" that can be seen in Li Ren stores recently, Li Ren also expressed the hope that regulations will be relaxed, referring to foreign cases, to allow food packaging to add recycled plastic. "If it can really be recycled, we can't say that plastic is guilty, but at least it can be used effectively." Li Ren starts to reduce plastic packaging for product packaging, reducing nearly 40 million plastic packaging materials in 6 years. Li Ren Company said yesterday (14) that it has gradually reduced the use of plastic packaging materials for its products since 2016, and has currently reduced the use of more than 38 million plastic packaging materials. Li Ren Company's product development manager Zhou Yuying pointed out that Li Ren has been connecting with manufacturers to improve the use of plastic packaging materials from the source since 2016. It has currently cooperated with 40 manufacturers to "reduce plastic" for its 186 products. Because food packaging involves food safety regulations, Li Ren Company took the lead in reducing plastic from textiles and daily necessities. Taking outer packaging as an example, paper packaging or glass bottles are preferred to replace plastic; in addition, the plastic coating of paper boxes and shrink film on packaging materials are also removed; for product accessories, paper rings are used to replace plastic hooks, plastic lids of cans are removed, and plastic spoons and straws are not provided. However, there are more aspects to consider when it comes to food packaging. Zhou Yuying pointed out that if sealed packaging cannot be achieved, the probability of product spoilage will increase.

2022-04-15

Microplastics found in living human lungs for the first time, particularly in plastic bottles

Scientists say microplastic pollution is now ubiquitous on Earth, making human exposure unavoidable. Concerns are growing about the health risks of microplastics. The Guardian reported that for the first time, microplastics have been found deep within the lungs of living people, with these particles detected in nearly all samples. Microplastics found deep within the lungs of living people, with PP and PET being the most abundant. A research team obtained tissue samples from 13 patients undergoing surgery and found microplastics in 11 of them. The most common types of microplastics found were polypropylene (PP), used in plastic packaging and tubing, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the raw material for plastic bottles. Two previous studies have found high levels of microplastics in lung tissue collected during autopsies. It's known that people inhale and ingest these tiny plastic particles, and that workers exposed to high levels of microplastics can develop illnesses. In March of this year (2022), microplastics were detected in human blood for the first time, indicating that microplastic particles can travel throughout the body and potentially lodge in organs, leaving their health effects unclear. But what worries researchers is that studies have shown that microplastics can damage human cells in the laboratory, and that fine particles of air pollution do enter the human body and cause millions of premature deaths each year. Laura Sadofsky, a senior author of the new study and a scholar at Hull York Medical School in the UK, said: "We didn't expect to find the most microplastics in the deep lungs, and the size of these plastic particles is also surprising.

2022-04-12

In East Asia's first, FamilyMart will introduce reusable cups at all 400 of its stores. Greenpeace urges other businesses to follow suit.

FamilyMart, which sells more than 100 million cups of coffee annually, announced today (31) that its 400 stores will introduce recycling cups on a large scale. Greenpeace said this may be the first case for a chain convenience store in East Asia. Disposable plastic packaging is a major cause of marine pollution. According to Greenpeace's estimates, about 2 billion beverage cups are used in Taiwan each year. The Environmental Protection Agency announced the latest plastic restriction regulations in December last year (2021), banning the use of polystyrene beverage cups from July this year, and requiring large beverage chain operators to install recycling cups in at least 5% of their stores by 2023. Greenpeace Project Director Zhang Kaiting pointed out that FamilyMart, which sells more than 100 million cups of coffee annually, was the first to respond to the Environmental Protection Agency's new plastic reduction policy and introduced the recycling cup service a year in advance, which not only helps reduce disposable packaging, but also promotes daily plastic reduction in the hands of every consumer. Greenpeace stated in a press release that it has been advocating for Taiwan's retail and mass-market channels to formulate plastic reduction plans since 2019. FamilyMart responded by launching a "Circular Cup Pilot Program" in the Calligraphy Greenway shopping district in Taichung, setting up recycling cup rental machines in stores, and reducing the use of more than 1,500 disposable packages in four months. Greenpeace pointed out that FamilyMart's expansion of the circular cup model proves that a sustainable business model is feasible. Greenpeace called on the leading convenience store 7-Eleven and other chain distributors and coffee companies to speed up their follow-up so that Taiwan's recycling model can make greater progress. Zhang Kaiting also emphasized that Greenpeace will continue to advocate for FamilyMart, PX and other convenience stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets to formulate a comprehensive

2022-03-31

Singapore surpasses Taiwan in annual sustainability think tank ranking: 80% of Taiwanese companies fail to conduct carbon footprint audits

The disclosure of corporate sustainability information has been progressing rapidly, but a recent sustainability evaluation of 100 companies in Asia Pacific shows that Singaporean companies have overtaken Taiwan to take first place, while Taiwan has fallen to second place. The CSRone Sustainability Think Tank and the Xinyi College of National Chengchi University released the 2022 "Taiwan and Asia Pacific Sustainability Report Status and Trends" report, pointing out that while the international carbon market consensus is gradually taking shape, more than 80% of Taiwanese companies have not conducted carbon footprint audits. The research team reminded companies that they must speed up the implementation of carbon reduction, otherwise they may not be able to receive international orders in the future. The Asia Pacific "Sustainability Temperature Index" is released, and Taiwan has been overtaken by Singapore for the first time. The 2022 "Taiwan and Asia Pacific Sustainability Report Status and Trends" evaluation covers ten Asia Pacific countries including Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Australia, and analyzes the top ten companies in each country. The research team started from the ESG (environment, society, and corporate governance) perspective, using eight sustainability issues such as energy conservation and carbon reduction, employee care, and social investment [1] as analysis indicators, and evaluated the degree of investment in sustainability through the information disclosed by companies on the Internet. In addition, due to the growing trend of net-zero carbon emissions internationally, the research team has set four indicators to understand the response and disclosure of companies on the "carbon issue". Chen Houru, Vice President of Operations at CSRone Sustainable Think Tank, pointed out that the report collected 685 sustainability reports published by Taiwanese companies, colleges and universities, non-profit organizations, etc., and conducted an in-depth analysis of 653 reports issued by companies. The analysis results show that as of December 2021,

2022-03-28

Let wood contribute to net-zero carbon emissions: The exotic species Leucaena leucaena is transformed into creative furniture

The Forestry Bureau has been fighting against the invasive alien species "Leucaena leucophylla" on the Hengchun Peninsula for many years, and has been constantly looking for diverse channels for the removal of the eradicated Leucaena leucophylla. Hundreds of furniture and cultural and creative products recently displayed at the Taipei Design and Building Materials Center were made of Leucaena leucophylla. They were the finalists of the first Leucaena leucophylla furniture design competition co-organized by the Forestry Bureau and the Rotary Club. Yesterday (15th), Forestry Bureau Director Lin Huaqing said that as countries around the world pursue the goal of net zero emissions by 2050, wood will become an important material. Lin Huaqing explained that in the past, different ways of using Leucaena leucophylla wood had been tried, and furniture design was found to be an effective channel. The Forestry Bureau will also continue to improve the applicability of Leucaena leucophylla wood. The tug-of-war over "green cancer" has spread over 3,000 hectares on the Hengchun Peninsula. Leucaena leucophylla is listed as one of the world's top 100 invasive alien species. It was originally grown in Central America and was introduced to Taiwan about 50 years ago as a papermaking material. Due to the suitable environmental conditions for its growth, coupled with its own strong reproductive capacity, large fruit yield, high seed germination rate and the secretion of toxic "mimosin" by its roots, it inhibits the growth of other surrounding plants. Therefore, it is very easy to form large areas of pure forests, which have a huge impact on the environmental ecology. Lin Huaqing, director of the Forestry Bureau, explained that the exclusivity of Leucaena leucophylla prevents other plants from growing, and large areas of Leucaena leucophylla forests also cause problems such as low biodiversity. The Hengchun Peninsula in Taiwan is the most serious, with a distribution area of more than 3,000 hectares, almost all of which have been occupied by Leucaena leucophylla. The Pingtung Forest District Management Office of the Forestry Bureau has been planning prevention and control since early 2001, and has dug up Leucaena leucophylla in state-owned forests.

2022-02-16

Luffa, peat soil, and floating farms: The Toushe Basin offers a clever way to balance industry and the environment.

The Toushe Basin in Yuchi Township, Nantou County, is surrounded by mountains and has a catchment area of approximately 500 hectares. The basin's center is gently sloping, and runoff from all sides quickly converges into the basin during rainfall. Surface runoff is primarily drained through the Shuiwei River, with floodwaters discharged at the Toushe Bridge, the only outlet. The flat areas in the center of the basin are primarily agricultural or abandoned land, with settlements built around the intersection of the slopes and the basin. In the past, the Toushe Basin primarily cultivated rice, and its "Toushe Rice" was renowned for its quality and quantity. However, since around 1996, rice prices have fallen compared to other emerging crops, prompting farmers to shift their focus. Luffa, known for its ability to be made into "luffa sand rice," has recently become a major crop. The luffa planting season runs from March to October. Due to the crop's irrigation needs and relatively abundant summer rainfall, the basin's peat soil naturally retains moisture. However, luffa does not tolerate waterlogging, so rapid drainage is crucial. When winter comes, most of the crops are dry, short-term crops or fallow, which may cause the peat soil to lose water for several months. This not only accelerates the oxidation of the peat soil, but is also more likely to become a "carbon source" and dissipate into the atmosphere. From this, we can see that although the change in the way humans use basins can increase agricultural income, it not only changes the landscape, but may also cause peat soil to change from a "carbon sink" to a "carbon source." It is necessary to conserve water and drain floods. The coexistence of peat soil and loofah is possible. In the face of the problem of waterlogging in the basin, the first solution is to allow the peat soil to retain water and prevent the peat soil from shrinking and causing the ground height to decrease, which will continue to increase the potential for waterlogging. If the agricultural utilization of the basin can be adjusted,

2022-02-15

Breaking Forestry Stereotypes: Exploring the Possibilities of Sustainable Development at Hsinchu's Yongtai Forest Farm

Taiwan's forest area accounts for 60%, yet its timber self-sufficiency rate is only 1%. Approximately 4.4 million cubic meters of timber are imported annually, increasing our carbon footprint and potentially contributing to illegal logging in other countries. The Forestry Bureau has been actively promoting local forestry and "domestic timber" in recent years, aiming to increase timber self-sufficiency to 5% by 2027. However, even with a domestic timber traceability system in place, many consumers remain concerned about whether forestry will truly protect against soil and water conservation and impact the ecological environment. A reporter from the Environmental Information Center visited the Yongtai Forest Farm in Hsinchu and witnessed how one of the few privately-owned forest farms in Taiwan, with over half a century of experience, repeatedly regenerates its ecosystem through a cycle of planting and felling trees, practicing sustainable forestry that reduces carbon emissions. Nestled in the 1,200-meter-high mountains of Wufeng Township in Hsinchu, entering the lush forest, a grove of Cryptomeria trees rises from the ground, each tree towering straight into the sky. Sunlight peeks through the gaps between branches and leaves, and the colorful shadows of the trees sway in the wind. You can smell the damp, cold scent of moss on the tree trunks. Listen carefully, and you can hear the sound of sawing wood coming from not far away, "Sheng Neng~ Sheng Neng~", and trees fall one after another... Wait! Don't rush to call the police, these are not some mountain rats stealing trees, but Yongtai Forestry is "clear-cutting". In this artificial economic forest that has been growing for more than 20 years, the trees that have been cut down were planted more than 30 years ago. Witnessing the rise and fall of the forestry industry, Liang Zhaoqing, chairman of Yongtai Forestry, is determined to plant trees for the next generation. In 1991, the government announced the policy of "total ban on logging of natural forests", and the total amount of forestry production was controlled each year. Many forestry companies have closed down or moved abroad.

2022-02-08

Renting furniture reduces waste by 6 tons. Taipower's employee cafeteria transforms into a Nordic-style complex.

Taiwan Power Company has partnered with IKEA to replace all furniture in the Taipower building's employee cafeteria, including tables and chairs, through a "rent-to-buy" model. The opening ceremony was held today (18th). Taipower said that the rent-to-buy model can reduce the cost of purchase, maintenance, and disposal. These furniture will eventually be recycled by IKEA, which is estimated to reduce about 6 tons of furniture waste, equivalent to about 20 tons of carbon emissions. This is the second time after Taipei 101 that IKEA Taiwan has partnered with a company to launch a furniture subscription service. Taipower Chairman Yang Wei-fu said that he hopes to become a leader in the public sector and drive various departments to minimize carbon emissions and move towards net zero carbon emissions by 2050 in a variety of ways. Hundreds of furniture items are rented and recycled by IKEA after use. Taipower promotes a circular economy and cooperates with furniture retailer IKEA to use the "rent-to-buy" furniture product service model to renovate the Taipower headquarters employee cafeteria. Taipower pointed out that the employee cafeteria has been in use for nearly 40 years since 1983. Last year (2021), it started cooperation with IKEA to establish a circular furniture model. The two parties signed a 6-year contract. During this period, IKEA will be responsible for the space design and planning and layout of furniture and home furnishings. IKEA will also be responsible for maintenance, renovation and final recycling. This is different from the traditional "manufacture, purchase, use, and discard" linear model, realizing the concept of circular economy. Taipower explained that the employee cafeteria covers an area of about 260 square meters. This time, IKEA provided 106 items of furniture such as dining tables and chairs, sofas, chandeliers, etc., with a total of 438 seats. Let employees

2022-01-18

Schedule for carbon inventory audits for listed companies released; Financial Supervisory Commission pushes for ESG rating system

The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) recently announced that, in response to climate change and policies such as the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, it will soon release a "Sustainable Development Roadmap for Listed Companies." This plan will be implemented in phases, with the steel and cement industries prioritized in the first wave. They will be required to disclose greenhouse gas emissions in 2023. All listed companies will complete greenhouse gas inventories by 2027, and verification of these inventories by 2029. The goal is to connect listed companies with the supply chain to achieve corporate sustainability. On January 13, 2022, the FSC announced that it will soon release a "Sustainable Development Roadmap for Listed Companies," setting a timeline for greenhouse gas inventory disclosure for listed companies, with steel and cement prioritized for disclosure starting in 2023. The plan will also strengthen board sustainability responsibilities and promote an ESG assessment system for listed companies. The goal is to connect listed companies with the supply chain to achieve corporate sustainability. Zhang Zhenshan, Director of the Securities and Futures Bureau, stated that to address the impact of climate change, relevant policies are being actively promoted internationally. For example, the European Union proposed a "Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism" in July 2021, which plans to impose carbon tariffs on high-carbon-emitting products exported to the EU. Furthermore, to accelerate carbon reduction and strengthen climate change adaptation efforts, the Environmental Protection Administration has announced plans to amend the "Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act" to the "Climate Change Response Act." To help companies set their carbon reduction targets early, greenhouse gas inventories have become a top priority for companies. Therefore, the Financial Supervisory Commission is planning a phased schedule for listed companies to disclose greenhouse gas inventories.

2022-01-14

Hongyuan turns discarded polarizers into resources, promoting a circular economy

With the advancement of technology, many electronic products require LCDs, leading to a year-on-year increase in the production of polarizers in Taiwan. This has led to a rapid increase in the disposal of waste polarizers, offcuts, defective products, and recycled materials. In response, Hongyuan Industrial is utilizing water ionization combined with electromagnetic wave induction heat treatment to transform waste polarizers into reusable resources. The solid residue (carbon residue) is also being evaluated for reuse as fuel and dye adsorbent. This patented technology, recently showcased at the International Semiconductor Exhibition, is poised to encourage more businesses to embrace new energy technologies for energy conservation and carbon reduction. Hongyuan Industrial General Manager Xiao Ruichang noted that incineration is currently the primary treatment method in Taiwan. However, due to the iodine ions in polarizers, which produce purple smoke when burned, public protests have led to incinerators refusing to accept waste polarizers. Experimental results show that after treatment with water ionization equipment, the solid residue from the polarizers in Example A can be used as a derived fuel with a calorific value higher than anthracite (7,000 kcal/kg); and the carbon residue in Example B can be used as a dye adsorbent. It is understood that polarizers produced in Taiwan account for more than 15% of the global market, but polarizer waste is very fluffy and requires a lot of space to stack. In the case of limited space, the fluffy waste not only takes up space, but also causes waste that cannot be converted into output value. In order to solve the dilemma of polarizer factories, the Technology Department of the Ministry of Economic Affairs has also developed a high-efficiency recycling resource technology for waste polarizers to help companies achieve the benefits of a circular economy under cost considerations. Xiao Ruichang said that the company has obtained a US invention patent in November and is expected to be in March next year (2022).

2022-01-04

Sinosteel, the world's first steel company to achieve circular economy success, receives UL certification

To meet customer needs, China Steel Corporation is actively providing credible recycled material products. In 2021, it increased the proportion of scrap steel used in its galvanized steel product SGCC RC12 to 12%. The product also passed the US UL 2809 certification, becoming the first company in the global steel industry to pass UL's recycled material content verification and setting a new example for the circular economy. China Steel Corporation emphasized that in response to the future international trend of net-zero carbon emissions, the company will actively develop production technologies that increase the content of recycled materials, continuing to move towards the sustainable development of low-carbon production and a circular economy. China Steel Corporation stated that UL 2809 is an environmental declaration certification developed by the well-known US certification agency UL (Underwriter Laboratories). Applicants must pass UL's rigorous production process and recycled material control review before obtaining the certificate. HP, the world's leading supplier of personal computers, printers, and 3D printing solutions, not only obtained the world's first ocean-recycled plastic content verification from UL in 2020, but also gradually promoted environmental sustainability policies to its suppliers. HP's assembly plant also proposed to China Steel that the proportion of recycled materials in galvanized steel products SGCC must reach more than 8%, and must obtain UL 2809 recycled material content verification. China Steel pointed out that the company has made "high-value refined steel mill" one of the main axes of its business strategy for the next 50 years. In order to promote ESG development and respond to carbon neutrality challenges, it actively launched the UL 2809 certification application in 2021 and formed a special project team to complete process capabilities, control the proportion of recycled materials and customer needs.

2022-01-04

Circular economy coaching case sharing - using waste mushroom buns to develop innovative business models

1. Introduction Circular Economy is an economic and industrial system in which resources are recoverable and renewable. Compared with Linear Economy, raw materials are mined from the natural environment, processed into goods, and the goods are purchased and used. The concept of "end of life" is different for products that are simply discarded later. The circular economy is based on the continuous recycling and utilization of materials, forming a recycling model of "resources, products, and renewable resources" and creating economic performance, fundamentally solving the contradiction between economic development and environmental impact. Under the consideration of the operation of market economy, how to follow the principles of resource reuse, reduce waste, reduce waste, etc., and at the same time, through the redesign of products, non-waste of manufacturing processes, optimization of logistics procedures, encouragement of recycling, etc., how to make every resource By-products or damaged goods can enter a new cycle and become new raw materials or materials. At this time, an innovative and successful "circular economy business model" is needed to guide and help enterprises and resources to coexist and realize co-creation of industries. A beautiful vision that takes into account both sustainable management and environmental protection. 2. Business Model and Technical Description I would like to share with readers a case study on how to establish a successful and innovative resource recycling business model, connect inputs from different industries, and turn waste mushroom bags that were regarded as "agricultural waste" in the past into useful "bio-products". quality energy". In the early days of its establishment, in order to successfully promote the business model of providing biomass energy, the company has invested heavily in purchasing equipment and recruiting outstanding R&D talents, and is committed to developing and manufacturing solid biomass fuels.

2021-11-18

TSMC, ASE and others join SEMI, the world's first semiconductor climate alliance

To accelerate the semiconductor industry's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SEMI) announced today (the 3rd) the establishment of the world's first Semiconductor Climate Consortium (SCC). Over 60 founding members from across the semiconductor value chain have signed on, including five Taiwanese companies: ASE, TSMC, Nanya Technology, GlobalWafers, and Hermes-Epitek. The world's first semiconductor industry chain alliance aims for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. SEMI issued a press release today (the 3rd) stating that the Semiconductor Climate Consortium (SCC) is the first global alliance comprised entirely of companies across the semiconductor value chain. Members will collaborate to maintain close communication, jointly innovate technologies, set specific carbon reduction targets, and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. They will also publish annual progress reports on three major carbon emission areas. The SCC has 65 founding members, including five Taiwanese companies: ASE, GlobalWafers, Hermes-Epitek, Nanya Technology, and TSMC. Other members include world-renowned companies such as AMD, ASML, GlobalFoundries, Google, Intel, Micron, Microsoft, Samsung Electronics, etc.

2021-11-03