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| 論文名稱 | How Taiwan Strives to Turn into a Circular Economy: the E-Waste Sector |
| 研討會開始日期 | 2018-04-04 |
| 研討會結束日期 | 2018-04-06 |
| 所有作者 | Armin Ibitz |
| 作者順序 | 第一作者 |
| 通訊作者 | 是 |
| 研討會名稱 | The 15th Annual Conference of the European Association of Taiwan Studies |
| 是否具有對外公開徵稿及審稿制度 | 是 |
| 研討會舉行之國家 | NATCHE-瑞士聯邦 |
| 研討會舉行之城市 | University of Zürich |
| 發表年份 | 2018 |
| 所屬計劃案 | 無 |
| 可公開文檔 |
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| 可公開文檔 | |
| 可公開文檔 |
[English Abstract] :
The concept of Circular Economy (CE) has drawn the attention from various actors, not only because resources are used in a more sustainable way but also because it creates economic benefits, and spurs growth and innovation. Over the past years, Taiwan has, for several reasons, stepped up its efforts to transform into a circular economy, where the value of products and materials is kept as long as possible. First, Taiwan has limited natural resources and needs to import about 99% of its energy resources, 80% of minerals, and 70% of its food. Second, the island nation is a major player in several global industries, and it seeks to uphold this position. As a large OEM manufacturer, Taiwan needs to secure the steady availability of cheap resources for production. Third, space is scarce in Taiwan, thus there are large and densely populated urban areas. All in all, an exceptional testing ground for urban mining. With recycling rates of about 60%, Taiwan ranks third globally – only behind Germany and Austria. A thriving recycling industry that comprises of over 2,000 companies not only curbs the environmental burden but also creates income.
The tremendous expansion of global production over the last decades not only led to a larger variety of goods but also to rising amounts of waste. Particularly, levels of electronic waste are growing rapidly across the globe. In Asia, the amount of e-waste has increased by 63% between 2010 and 2015. In Taiwan, some 40,000 tonnes of e-waste are generated every year. Volumes of e-waste are on the rise since devices are becoming increasingly affordable, and people have more devices. Moreover, due to shortening life-cycles, they are also replaced earlier. Local recycling enterprises (e.g., Super Dragon, Jiin Yeeh Ding, Golden Plus...) have established treatment facilities that allow retrieving valuable substances from discarded electronic devices. About 1 ton of gold and millions of tonnes of copper can be retrieved from electronic scrap every year.
In 2016, remarks in the inaugural speech of the new president have indicated that Taiwan is set to enter "an age of circular economy, turning waste into renewable resources.” As a result, the government has launched several projects to promote CE, such as the establishment of a special circular-economic zone in Kaohsiung, but also state-run companies (e.g., CPC) have pledged to invest large sums on promoting CE over the next years. Although the e-waste sector represents a good example, there is still a long way to go to transform large parts of the industry into a CE.
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