Taiwan research institute promotes businesses to switch to sustainable materials

台灣研究機構推動企業改用永續材料

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Plastics Industry Development Center said it has helped businesses switch to sustainable materials in their products and has provided more than 1,000 sustainable options for companies to choose from.

Center Director Hsiao Yao-kuei (蕭耀貴) said the agency has helped international sports and food brands in Taiwan source sustainable materials to promote waste recycling. The program has also enabled Taiwanese small and medium-sized enterprises in plastics, rubber, fiber, and metal processing to access international markets, per CNA.

Hsiao said sustainable materials are those that cause the least harm to the environment and human health during sourcing, manufacturing, use, and recycling. The center has set up a section to showcase these materials and provides an online database for companies to access detailed information.

The center partners with 500 domestic material suppliers to promote sustainable materials. Over the past four years, it has helped introduce 120 materials into applications, 31 of which have been commercialized, generating more than NT$27.5 million (US$870,000) in business opportunities.

In addition, the center has teamed up with Nestle Taiwan to turn used coffee filter bags into scrubbing pads. The center said the bags can absorb moisture and remove grease, making them suitable for washing dishes.

The center also turned pallets used in the company’s logistics operations into partitions for office spaces. The partitions can be taken apart and reassembled to reduce renovation waste when spaces are rearranged, the center added.

Center Deputy Director Hsu Hsiang-jui (許祥瑞) said the agency has supported Greenvines Biotech in turning discarded fishing nets into shampoo bottles. The nets are cleaned, crushed, and made into pellets that can later be formed into containers.

The center has also worked with Hwa Meei Optical in Tainan to turn discarded nets into colorful eyeglass frames. Wen Ming Fountain Pen has collaborated with the center to create pens made from recycled materials.