In recent years, Taiwan has been experiencing a different kind of boom. Recycling firms, which have grown in number from about 100 in the 80s and 90s to more than 1,600 at present, are turning heaps of waste into billions of dollars. According to Taiwan’s Industrial Development Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, recyclers earned $2.2 billion in revenue in 2014, up from $1 billion a decade ago. Also, almost every elementary school in Taiwan has implemented various environmental education programs in the curriculum. Most Taiwanese youngsters are able to tell the parents that 5 PET bottles can make a recycled bag; 3 PS lunch boxes can be the raw material of a ruler; or even 1 kilo of gold can be recycled from 80,000 used computers. The success of Taiwan’s waste reduction and recycling schemes makes it a green model for many countries. Among the main recycling services, plastic recycling has drawn worldwide attention. For example, Taiwan took pride in the so-called “eco-fabric” that was used by local companies to make the jerseys for teams competing in the football World Cup in both 2010 and 2014.
From football jerseys to wigs and building bricks, plastic recycling in Taiwan means breathing new life into its massive plastics waste, creating a booming new business at the same time as it aims to go green. Taiwan started recycling plastic more than a decade ago amid growing environmental concerns, and today it boasts about 73 percent recycling rates, according to the cabinet’s Environmental Protection Administration. In 2014 nearly 180,000 tons of used plastic were collected and turned into raw materials worth USD 140 million. Da Fon, one of the most promising recycling companies in Taiwan, has even become a role model in the industry. From recycling, sorting, processing, shredding, manufacturing to even designing, they are the one stop solution to an economically and environmentally sustainable alternative to plastics produced from petrochemicals with its high-quality post-consumer ABS, HIPS, PP, filled PP and HDPE products.
For the past 15 years, Da Fon has set up 35 service stations scattering around Taiwan, a manufacturing factory of reprocess granules, a research developing department and a resource recycling center. These enable Da Fon to transform the supply chain of the plastics industry. And its every step is open for visiting or even participating. As a matter of fact, the success of Da Fon lies heavily in public involvement. They believe all wastes are misplaced resources. And most importantly, public awareness makes recycling possible. Today, Da Fon’s recycle stations are not only for people or partner organizations to recycle waste, they are educational centers as well as product show rooms featuring reusable flakes and granules and goods made of those reborn raw materials. Dealing with discarded goods has never been considered a noble job. Interestingly, Da Fon’s staffs are mostly in their 30s and they are proud of themselves. “Collecting junks can be cocky,” said C.H. Juan, the engineer of Da Fon’s Resources Circulation Department.
Da Fon is now able to export their experience and plastics to the world. They give clients certainty that their plastics are handled in compliance with legit standards and legislation. Da Fon’s reprocessed granules are certified by SGS Carbon Footprint Verified Certificate, TUV Recycled Material Verified Certificate, Plastic Industry Development Center (PIDC) Post-Consumer-Recycled (PCR) Plastics Verified Certificate, and most important of all, the EuCertPlas Certificate, which combines with Germany’s Blue Angel scheme, allowing application products to apply the Blue Angel label.
For more information, visit: http://global.df-recycle.com.