Promotion Committee

In November 2022, to focus on key resource circulation issues, clarify the responsibilities of each ministry, and strengthen inter-ministerial division of labor and collaboration, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) amended Paragraph 2, Article 6 of the “Organizational Regulations of the Renewable Resource Recycling and Reuse Promotion Committee, Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan.” The amendment provides that, where required for specific issues, the Promotion Committee may form divisional groups composed of committee members, scholars and experts, relevant agencies, and EPA personnel to conduct planning, coordination, and deliberation. In April 2021, the Promotion Committee resolved at its first meeting of 2021 to establish five divisional groups (see figure below). The “Biomass Group,” “Organic Chemicals Group,” “Metals and Chemicals Group,” and “Inorganic Recycled Aggregates Group” promote material resource circulation for industry-specific issues or resources, while the “Green Living and Consumption Group” is dedicated to implementing and promoting policies on consumer source reduction and green living for all.

The Promotion Committee consists of 23 to 27 members, including representatives of ministries related to resource circulation (the EPA, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the National Science and Technology Council, the Council of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Finance, and the Public Construction Commission) as well as experts and scholars from various sectors. In addition to reviewing major resource circulation policies and measures proposed by competent authorities and industry competent authorities, and coordinating and evaluating their implementation, the Committee guides these government agencies in implementing the “Resource Circulation Action Plan” to advance resource circulation in Taiwan.

Through the Resource Circulation Office, the EPA works with relevant ministries to operate the Promotion Committee’s divisional groups and jointly formulate and implement this plan. Each divisional group identifies “Key Issues” in areas of its specific issues or resources that need strengthening, and proposes “Key Work Items” based on the results of baseline reviews, with the aim of promoting resource circulation from a material life-cycle perspective and progressively achieving the vision of zero waste.

Promotion Directions

To effectively accelerate resource circulation, the Resource Circulation Office is dedicated to overall resource circulation policy planning and management. Departing from the conventional waste management perspective, it adopts a material life-cycle approach and formulates concrete action measures for four major material categories: biomass resources, organic chemical resources, metals and chemicals, and inorganic resources. With reference to the EU, Japan, and South Korea, it has developed overall indicators and promotion strategies. Starting from these four material categories, it strengthens the underlying regulations, policies, plans, and databases, identifies key issues, formulates concrete action measures, and promotes the “Resource Circulation Action Plan” across ministries to achieve the goals of “maximizing resource circulation” and “minimizing waste treatment.” The resource circulation promotion framework is shown in the figure below.