LEAVING GARBAGE ISLAND

In the 1990s, economic growth and soaring consumption outpaced Taiwan’s capacity to clean up its waste, earning it the moniker “garbage island”. Today, Taiwan is among the world’s leading recycling nations, recovering 52% of rubbish collected from households and commerce as well as 77% of industrial waste. At this year’s football World Cup in Russia, 16 of the 32 teams wore shirts made in Taiwan from fibres derived from recycled plastic.

Initiatives range from low-emission waste incineration to an extended producer responsibility scheme, with manufacturers contributing to the cost of their products’ disposal. The average Taiwanese throws out 850g daily, down from 1.15kg 20 years ago.

1. E-waste recycler Mniwiz’s Taipei office features polymer bricks. 2. Miniwiz’s database is open to green innovators. 3. The company makes sunglasses from recycled materials. 4. Arthur Huang, the firm’s founder, at its “trash lab”. 4

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