The objective of this project was to enhance waste recycling management. This project improved the document management before recycling processes, product material flow management during recycling, and the identification of recycled products, as well as improved overall recycling management policies. This project also assisted in amending the Management Regulations for Reuse of Common Industrial Waste, formulating the Principles on Discretionary Waste Treatment and Recycling Standard, compiling the list for tracking designated recycled industrial waste products, specifying permitting procedures, strengthening risk control, clarifying discretionary waste treatment and recycling, and enhancing the material flow of recycled products. For incorporating reuse registration into industrial waste disposal plan, columns for acceptance standard, equipment, and product specification were added, and waste recycling reference manual and reviewing guidelines were revised and added as a reviewing reference. This year, food processing sludge and composting were taken as an example for auditing agencies to review related cases in the future. Waste management policies, including comprehensively promoting resource recycling, using policy instruments to attract private company investment, and the identification of by-products (or non-waste), from Japan, the Netherlands, and Belgium, were all valuable references for Taiwan. Regarding the investigation into domestic copper metal circulation, the current industry lacked the capacity for developing large scale copper smelting. This project organized one expert consultation meeting and five facility on-site visits to collect suggestions as references for future development. This year, the primary objective was to evaluate the environmental impact of copper smelting. The massive amount of copper smelting slag might considerably affect the domestic inorganic waste recycling market; therefore, this project did not recommend the development of copper smelting in Taiwan for the time being. In addition, Indium was investigated this year. Indium, an essential metal for the LCD panel industry in Taiwan, can be recycled and remanufactured into ITO sputter targets to form a domestic metal circulation. Metal recycling in other countries is mostly conducted by large mining groups, and the circulation is usually established internationally. However, some rare and precious metals have already been strategically controlled by some countries. Whether it is necessary to adopt similar measures in Taiwan should be evaluated on the level of national strategy. This project examined and compared the reporting of recycled products and counseled companies that categorized their products as “other” to fill in the appropriate product codes. This project also visited 25 recycling companies to grasp the current development of the industry. A monthly audit of recycling companies was conducted to provide them with a consultation to improve their operation. A business review meeting was organized to facilitate communication between environmental protection agencies and the authorities in charge of the recycling business.

Metal Circular Economy, Industrial Waste Reuse, Assist The Organization