In his 1966 paper “The Economics of the Coming Spaceship Earth,” Kenneth Boulding used the metaphor “Earth is a single spaceship” to propose that “Earth is not a reservoir of unlimited resources and that humans must return to their circular position in the ecosystem to reproduce materials.”

      Located in East Asia, Taiwan boasts majestic mountain ranges and a beautiful coastline, in addition to being an island nation where various cultures intermingle. However, similar to a single spaceship, the beautiful island must face the practical challenges of finite resources. Assertive engagement in global sustainability actions has become an urgent requirement as we simultaneously pursue economic development. In this rapidly changing society, recycling has been viewed as a key environmental protection measure that not only effectively reduces the environmental impact of waste but also converts waste into recycled resources to build a sustainable ecosystem.

      However, there are still many challenges on the path to recycling...

      However, the journey towards recycling is filled with challenges. The increase in consumer requirements and product categories has led to ever-increasing types of waste that require recycling technologies to continuously innovate. Taiwan features diverse and efficient recycling systems where many recycling operators take products at the end of their production cycle and reuse them in manufacturing and raw materials. They are the silent guardians standing vigilant to protect our green future.

      Virgin resin pellets vs. recycled resin pellets

      How big is the positive environmental impact of producing recycled materials from used plastic pellets? Data from Taiwan’s Carbon Footprint Information Platform shows that recycled plastic PP (polypropylene, plastic number 5, one of the most common plastic materials seen in bottle caps as well as food and bottle packaging) has a carbon footprint of 0.407kgCO2e/kg compared to the carbon footprint of virgin PP plastic pellets which is 1.7kgCO2e/kg, recycled plastic PP pellets benefits from reduced carbon, accounting for only 24% the carbon footprint of virgin PP plastic pellets.

      Recycling industry...

      Chieh An was founded as a recycler of soft packaging materials. In 1970, the company established a plastic pellet plant in Taichung and found that much of the discarded commercial waste from companies and factories is a recyclable resource. In 1994, the company transitioned to Chieh An Environmental Engineering to treat industrial waste for factories across Taiwan; the company processed recyclable plastic pellets and assisted customers in overseeing all treatment of their industrial waste. Massive production pipelines and plastic pellet machines operate with stability within factories to screen semi-finished products that are crushed, heated, and pressed into a semi-molten state before they are extruded into pellets. After, they are cooled, rinsed, and dried before storage in storage barrels with drying functionality.

      Mr. Huang, a project manager at Chieh An Environmental Engineering, stated: “Having worked nearly 40 years in packaging recycling, we’ve always felt that incinerating these products was a waste.”

      With Chieh An’s background in mechanical engineering, the company has met its own expectations to increase the rate of recycling and reuse as well as the government’s low carbon strategy by continuing in the development of various systems such as equipment to separate aluminum and plastic, equipment that forcefully separates surface plastic and composite plastic recycling equipment. “Labor can only do so much, and instead of hiring more personnel for sorting, we anticipate spending our efforts on adjusting equipment and transitioning step by step towards warehouse automation and gradually replacing our sorting production line with machines and AI.”

      Let the data speak for itself

      The Ministry of Environment’s 2022 data indicates that Taiwan’s total waste was as high as 32.34 million metric tons, with commercial waste accounting for 15.92 million metric tons. Data shows that in the same year, Chieh An Environmental Engineering’s total volume of waste received was 6,209 tons; while this only accounts for 0.1% of Taiwan’s recycled volume, more than 97% of waste plastic entering our production lines is recycled to produce a staggering total of 4.509 tons of recycled plastic pellets. If Chieh An is able to secure more partners and waste while maintaining a high recycling rate, we believe it is possible to decrease the total volume of unrecyclable items that are incinerated. Ultimately, incineration and landfills will no longer be the only solution for waste.

      A pioneering aluminum-plastic separation technology unique to Taiwan

      The development of equipment and technology are indispensable to achieving high recycling rates; for example, equipment to separate aluminum and plastic is the result of Chieh An Environmental Engineering’s continued effort and optimization for over three decades. What are aluminum plastic film packaging bags? They are the familiar electrostatic aluminum foil bags used in the tech industry, aluminum plastic outer packaging for EV batteries, color-printed food packaging (such as the film on puddings), and the commonly seen capsule packaging! These packaging materials all contain plastic aluminum outer shells.

      Due to the difficulty of separating and recycling aluminum plastic packaging film in the past, much of this waste was incinerated, resulting in environmental pollution. Food packaging today, such as cookies sold in stores, may include print to attract consumer interest; their packaging may also include additional composite materials to increase their shelf life. This has caused many pellet manufacturers to surrender due to complexity, high cost, and low-value products. Chieh An Environmental Engineering utilized professional aluminum plastic separation technology developed through transnational partnerships. This aluminum plastic separation equipment effectively separates plastic and aluminum in packaging material to produce 100% recycled plastic pellets; the recycled aluminum extracted also achieves a purity of 85% to 90%4. This type of separation technology and product purity not only solves environmental issues but also reinvests recycled materials into markets for additional applications.

Figure : Capsule packaging, illustration from the internet.

      The Sustainable Materials Library’s collection also includes Chieh An’s recycled LDPE buffer mesh bag packaging material5. Data from the Carbon Footprint Information Platform indicates that compared to virgin materials, products produced with recycled plastic pellets reduce carbon emissions by approximately 60-90%.

Figure : Recycled LDPE Foam Buffer Packaging Material

      Chieh An Environmental Engineering is able to obtain a stable source of commercial waste materials by performing waste recycling and treatment for many major tech companies, brands, and the packaging industry. Our consistent operating procedures adhere strictly to Taiwan’s environmental protection laws, while our stringent controls over manufacturing and processing are able to recycle precious resources and output stable materials capable of obtaining GRS certification. The adept use of recycled resources can decrease the impact of waste on this island and provide a third option aside from SRF and incineration for commercial waste from different industries.

      After visiting the Plastic Industry Development Center, Manager Hsu Hsiang-Jui expressed: “Instead of continuing to develop different materials to address sustainability, attempting to build effective circular systems within existing models will be the green commercial opportunity to lead this transition.” It’s more than just establishing a resource recycling system in factories. Chieh An Environmental Engineering has strived to eliminate additional workload for factory staff by developing a material certification system operated by uploading weight and image data. When weighing materials, image data, product items, factory, and personnel data are uploaded to the cloud for both parties to review and file. “This is the first step in establishing and implementing a waste production resume system that allows us to search this data and track the batch number of recycled raw materials that are produced.” Mr. Huang, a project manager at Chieh An Environmental Engineering, spoke calmly but displayed his steadfast determination to solve the issue of waste systematically.

      Chieh An Environmental Engineering is coordinating with the government’s net zero policy and assisting in the waste recycling and treatment of multiple major tech companies, brands, and the packaging industry. “The development of aluminum plastic separation equipment makes it clear that increasing the recycling rate is our vision. We hope that incineration and landfills no longer exist as the sole pathways for future waste treatment.”

      Taiwan’s achievements in recycling are the result of social collaboration; the efforts of a single company, enterprise, or sustainable material are far from enough. If you’re searching for a reliable recycling partner and hope to collaborate in building a green ecosystem, visit the Sustainable Materials Library and join our green project to build a closed, sustainable industry chain and achieve commercial value. It is our hope that the future of Taiwan’s recycling industry continues to innovate and evolve so we may leave our descendants with a greener, more beautiful island.