Circular Policy
Resources by waste and society of circular economy
Taiwan experienced the significant growth of economy. However, it resulted in the excessive resource exploitation and significant damage on the environment. In order to enhance economy and environmental protection and catch up with the world, the government has declared to “approach the era of circular economy and transform the waste into renewable resources”. By complete regulations, it enhances the technology and proper management. Besides, Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan planned “reuse project of resource recycling” (2018 to 2020) in order to properly use the waste in the stages of material production, consumption, refuse and recycling to replace the exploitation of complete circulation of material and zero waste. The important strategies are shown below:
1. Production —increase of use efficiency of resources
(1) Baseline information of materials and control of national use of materials: checking of use of key material energy resources in order to enhance use efficiency and circulation rate.
(2) Implementation of product design which is more endurable, repairable and recycled: practice of cradle to cradle design to avoid the exploitation of raw materials. Thus, material resources can be constantly recycled. The companies are encouraged to design environmental products and they can obtain the preferential recycling fee with the environmental marks.
(3) Enhancement of industrial connection symbiosis, increase of energy resource efficiency of production process and reduction of waste.
“Promotion plan of circular economy” of the government.
In recent years, sustainable circulation is being valued.
2. Consumption—avoidance of waste
(1) Creation of green consumption model, avoidance of use of disposable products and reinforcement of education and promotion: reduction of disposable cups, limitation of disposable items such as packaged drinking water, shopping plastic bags and disposable tableware; implementation of demonstration project of repetitive use of products and fulfillment of reduction of origin of waste.
(2) Implementation of governmental green procurement and use of renewable aggregates of public construction: According to Government Procurement Act, when the government invites bids, it can favorably purchase the products with environmental labels or the same efficacy. The objective is that in 2020, the amount of governmental green procurement reached NTD 9 billion. In addition, bottom ash is the residue of waste burning of the incinerator. Renewable aggregates disposed can serve as the ones of construction. The objective is that in 2020, the amount of renewable aggregates of incinerators on public construction of different counties and cities is 70%.
(3) Extension of life of products and system of job responsibility of producers: life of products is extended by matching of channels of repair and extension of product warranty. In addition, the producers should undertake the responsibilities of the recycling, reuse or disposal of products.
Plastic free shop provides the consumers with the shopping experience of “non-package shopping”, “repetitive filling” and “repetitive use”.
52 governmental units, enterprises and NGO sign Green Deal of circular procurement 2.0 (Circulair Inkopen 2.0).
3. Recycling—reduction of waste
(1) Reinforcement of recycling and circular system, fore-end classification and recycling effect and upgrading of recycling and reuse: reinforcement of recycling of wasted plastic, industrial package materials, key metal materials and construction waste.
(2) Reinforcement of renewable energy technology and new industrial development and energy recycling: construction of bioenergy plant of kitchen waste, implementation of small-scale kitchen waste compost, effective upgrading of reuse of organic waste such as kitchen waste, agricultural and forestry materials and excrements and urine of animals. Purified marsh gas is served for electricity and fermented liquid and residue serves as fertilizer for the farm land.
(3) Complete system of regulations and review of regulations related to resource recycling.
4. Circulation—increase of circulation
(1) Construction of product quality of regenerated material or reuse and the system of supervision.
(2) Reinforcement of technology R&D and innovation, resource circulation technology of resource recycling and reuse, such as the subsidy for R&D of technical innovation of waste and upgrading of reuse technology of bottom ash.
(3) Economic incentives and stimulation of material circulation and implementation of circular economy.
Circulation of domestic idle electric appliances: recovery of wasted 3C by diverse measures to turn it into the materials of new products of technological companies
The first bioenergy village Juehnde of Germany produces the heat energy and electricity needed for the whole community by compost and wood fragments.
With the progress of technology, we are able to transform the waste into amazing things. Waste is the misplaced resource. It can be resource with effective reuse at the proper places. At present, in Taiwan, the recovery rate of refuse is 58% and it is among the top three in the world. It is estimated that in 2022, it will reach 61%. The government will continue the implementation of resource of waste for the objective of circular economy. Thus, it results in the balance between industrial development and environmental protection to turn Taiwan into the circular homeland with zero waste, zero pollution and sustainability.
Kitchen waste can be transformed into fertilizer and fee.
References:
Charles Huang,Hui-Lin Chen.Circular Economy. Taipei City: Common Wealth Magazine Publishing,2021.
SME Green Information Networkhttps://green.pidc.org.tw/detail.php?lang=tw&type=2&id=72
Wikipediahttps://reurl.cc/41g1bY
Image Source:
Ministry of Economic Affairs Bureau of Industryhttps://reurl.cc/zZyZKV
Small and Medium Enterprises Division, Ministry of Economic Affairshttps://green.pidc.org.tw/detail.php?lang=tw&type=4&id=296
green peace
Circular Taiwan Networkhttps://circular-taiwan.org/2019/06/14/column-cw-20190614/
Social Enterprise Flow
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