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With our more than 110 employees in whole Taiwan, we are accepting resource recyclables and waste all the way from Kaohsiung to Taipei. In addition to our head office in Taipei, we serve customers from all regions in our plastic recycling plant in Nantou and our industrial service plant in Taoyuan.
The REMONDIS Group’s locations
Discover the world of REMONDIS with its approx. 900 branches and associated companies in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
The heart of Taiwan, the heart of plastic recycling
Introduction of the Nantou plant
Situated at the middle of Taiwan, Nantou is a county renowned for its natural beauty. Also located in this environment is where we base our main operations. Through the recycling process of the Nantou plant, REMONDIS Taiwan reuses post-consumer plastics, transforming them from an environmental liability into a valuable resource for countless applications. In this post, we look at REMONDIS’ first forage into sustainability in Taiwan: The history it accompanies, the processes involved, and the products produced.
26 years and running: History of the Nantou plant
Since 1996! The history of the plant could also be seen as the history of REMONDIS Taiwan, or even the history of plastic recycling in Taiwan, for it has been with us from the very beginning. Starting in the late 1980s, governments around the world realized the need for more action regarding plastic bottles, which until that time have often been simply discarded on the streets. Producers had no obligation to dispose of them and collectors had no incentive to collect them. With the amendment of the waste disposal act in 1988, the responsibility of plastic bottles shifted to the producers. Initial collection fees of 2 NTD per bottle were set up, and the industry started to take shape. As the amount collected grew, so did the demand for processing the bottles. The Nangang Industrial Park in Nantou was completed in 1983. At the time, the government hoped to attract industries of future potential to this location with cheaper land, which included the recycling industry. Sensing an opportunity, we entered and completed the Nantou plant in 1995. Starting operation in 1996, REMONDIS was one of the first companies to join the Taiwanese recycling industry which has proven to be one of the best in the world until now. Only one year later, with the establishment of the EPA in 1997, a central authority for the classification and treatment of plastic containers was finally consolidated, leading to a further increase in treatment demand. The market was now finally formed and regulated!
Employing state-of-the-art technology and in some instances, novel solutions in its process, our factory was ahead of its time at completion. Since then, numerous expansions and upgrades have been made to the site, augmenting our process while keeping at the forefront of the industry. Over the years, the plant has been operating reliably and consistently in Taiwan, taking in at least 25,000 tons of plastic containers, and pumping out more than 20,000 tons of recycled plastic flakes and chips annually. To date, it has successfully processed over 20,762,500,000 containers. Yes, we can’t even imagine ourselves how many bottles this must be. But translated into an image, all these bottles end to end, would be enough to circle the world at least 100 times. Without the work of our plant and others, these plastics would end up in landfills, incinerators or the ocean, all of which are detrimental to the environment and a huge waste of potential material. Looking forward, we are pursuing further upgrades to our recycling process with the ongoing construction of the brand-new Changhua plant, featuring higher capacity, the latest technology we can offer, carbon footprint monitoring, and as always, products of excellent quality. We will talk about the new plant in due course, so stay tuned. In the meantime, if you are plastics product producer looking for a source of renewable and quality materials visit the rest of our website or contact us for more information. We are more than happy to address your needs!
From garbage to gold: What goes on within the factory
Collection
Every journey has its beginnings, and reused plastic products are no exception. From the moment they are discarded, the recycling process begins. Everywhere from homes to public spaces and companies, the post-consumer plastics are collected, either by the government or private collection companies, and sent to larger collection centers, where after initial sorting they are compressed into large bricks (called bales) ready for transfer. The central location of the Nantou plant allows it to procure such bales from all over the island. Indeed, from Taipei to Pingtung, our suppliers are everywhere.
Processing
There are two main lines of production in the Nantou plant: one for PET plastic, the other for general plastics (PP, PE and PS).
For our PET material, two lines, one for transparent, the other for colored are installed. The plastic bales are unpacked and loaded into a temporary storage vat, where they are then fed into a mixing drum for washing. Alkali is added, and the material is washed with hot water, which expands the containers, making it easier for the next step of the process: de-labeling. Here, the containers enter another drum, which scratches off any labels, and a third drum removes the labels from the process using a fan. Next, manual selection is required to ensure high quality of the plastic before being shredded to flakes, which is the next stop in our process. After shredding, the produced flakes are rinsed of chemicals from the earlier washing and sent through the floatation tank. PET flakes are heavier than their GP counterparts. We desire the flakes that sink, though both materials are collected, dried in a centrifuge and packaged for purchase. And that’s it, after a final quality check, the flakes are ready to be shipped out to find their new life in sustainable products.
For general plastics (GP), the plastic bales go through an unpacker, and then onto a magnetic separator, where metals embedded as deep as 10cm within the containers can be detected and removed. Next, workers pick out any materials that are unsuitable for processing (loose caps, metals not detected, containers of different plastics etc.). Afterwards, the containers are shredded into flakes and carried to the floatation tank, where the desired flakes float to the surface and the other flakes sink to the bottom. Both have their uses, though, so two lines carry each through a centrifuge for drying and finally, into a storage vat, where they are packaged and readied for shipping.
Flakes can be directly used to make all sorts of end-products, or they can be made into chips, where the quality is further enhanced for more products: Our PET flakes and chips are used by our customers for clothing and shoes; the HDPE flakes and chips are used to produce shampoo bottles. Other products include chopping boards, plant pots, plastic seats, packaging strings and much, much more. Diverse as these products are, one thing is common: They all include recycled plastic, which gives the material a second chance at being useful.
Buyers look here
This is what makes our products exceptional
We hope now, you know a bit more about our operations. Next, allow us to introduce the reason why we are doing all this: our products. As mentioned, the flakes and chips are made from a range of different plastics. In the Nantou plant this includes PET, PE, PP and PS. You might think there are many other recycling plants you could receive your sustainable material from in Taiwan. But let us explain why we are the supplier you should trust.
Volume
As one of the largest players in the industry with four lines of production and an annual output of over 20,000 tons of flakes and chips, we meet the demands of our customers. From industry titans with an international presence to local businesses deeply connected to their respective regions, no order is too small or large to handle. We have even better news: With our new plastic recycling facility in Changhua, we will produce even more for your needs. If you are looking for a long-term supplier – no matter which volumes you are looking for, contact our sales team!
Consistency
Since we have been operating for more than 25 years, we know consistency is key when it comes to our products. Here at REMONDIS Taiwan, we ensure our products reach you whenever, wherever you need them, and always with the same quality. Customer satisfaction reflects this: For our plastic recycling business, regular customers have been cooperating with us for over 10 years on average, some even more than 20! A long and stable relationship is what we value. That was our pledge when we started and is still our promise today.
Flexibility
The size and diversified production lines of the Nantou plant mean we can not only meet demand in volume and consistency, but also in variety. PET, PP, HDPE, LDPE, PS are all processed in the plant, and we offer both transparent and colored flakes as well. Customers are no longer required to approach different companies for each specific need. Here at the Nantou plant, one stop is all that’s required.
Reputation
As one of the earliest treatment plants in the industry, the Nantou plant has had a rich history. The advantages of our products shown above means that REMONDIS Taiwan has made a name for itself over the years. Customers choose us because we have the experience and a proven record to gain their trust, and we choose to do so because that is what we believe in: Coming from Germany, our values accompany the technical expertise of our operations. We have direct access to the most-updated recycling technology coming straight from Germany. REMONDIS is committed to the mission of sustainability around the world, Taiwan being no exception. We are here to stay, and our customers know it.
So, if you are a producer with a lot of material demand, a commitment towards a long cooperative relationship, and a drive to bring sustainability into your operations, then we are the right supplier for you! If you wish to know the full details of our products, please contact our sales team. They will be more than happy to answer further questions about them!
Invitation to all potential customers
Help us in working for the future
And that’s it, the introduction to our Nantou plant! From this post, we hope you can understand the background to the plant’s origins, and how we set ourselves apart from other players in the industry. If you are interested in what we do, wish to purchase our products, or have any other questions regarding plastic recycling in Taiwan, you can contact our sales team or explore the rest of our website. We hope to expand our customer base and establish more connections with businesses in Taiwan, especially those who are interested in our GP products. Together, we can help promote sustainable business practices along the entire supply chain and move towards a cleaner, more efficient future.
