Taiwan retailers promote circular economy at sustainability expo\

台灣零售業於永續博覽會推廣循環經濟

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan retailers are expanding sustainability efforts through initiatives that recycle store waste and improve access to everyday goods in underserved communities.

The initiatives were showcased Thursday at the 5th Sustainable Development Goals Asia expo at Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1, where Uni-President Enterprises Corporation presented an aquaponics system developed with a partner farm in Yunlin County’s Sihu Township, per CNA, The system is part of the company’s sustainable farm program, launched in 2023 to support agriculture through stable procurement and sustainable practices.

7-Eleven Taiwan said the farm uses Taiwan’s only pond-based modified aquaponics system, creating a cycle in which vegetables feed fish, fish enrich the water, and the water nourishes crops. The company works with suppliers to put discarded outer leaves from vegetables used in two salad products into the system as fish feed, while also growing red-veined sorrel for its Salad Mood dish.

Starbucks Taiwan, in which 7-Eleven Taiwan has an investment, has also partnered with the Miaoli County Farmers’ Association to recycle coffee grounds from its stores into fertilizer and soil amendments for rice paddies, per UDN. Starbucks employees have joined rice planting activities, with the company saying the initiative turns a store byproduct into a resource for local agriculture.

PX Mart is using mobile supermarkets to bring retail services to communities with limited transportation and shopping resources, CNA reported. The supermarket chain began the service in 2020 and now operates four trucks serving areas including Hualien, Chiayi, Hsinchu, and Pingtung counties, which have served more than 250,000 people.

PX Mart said the mobile supermarkets are not operated for profit, with each truck carrying about 300 to 400 products selected according to local needs. Routes are reviewed every three months, allowing the service to respond to changing demand while extending fresh food and other goods to underserved communities.