On 14 July 2016, the EPA held a press conference to explain how the EPA is working with enterprises to reduce plastic waste and improve recycling and reuse so that new value of plastics may be discovered through new ways of thinking. The EPA also discussed the concept of cradle-to-cradle (C2C) horizontal alliances among different industries. According to a report published in 2016 by the World Economic Forum and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, global production of plastic packaging reached 78 million tonnes in 2016, while the recycling rate was only 14%. The report also pointed out that global production of all plastics reached 300 million tonnes in 2014, a mass equivalent to a fifth of the estimated total tonnage of fish stock in the world’s oceans. It is also estimated that by 2050, plastic production will reach 1.1 billion tonnes, exceeding the mass of total fish stock. There is clearly a need for new circular economic strategies for plastics. The EPA is actively promoting C2C design concepts as the circular economy trend grows around the world. Taking plastic as an example, the EPA would like to see planning for the continuous recycling of plastics from the very beginning of manufacturing processes. The EPA is encouraging manufacturers to change their ways of thinking, redesign their products, and join the Taiwan Cradle to Cradle Strategic Alliance. Forming horizontal alliances with different industries will lower the cost of raw materials and reduce overall waste, thus moving Taiwan along the path of sustainability through recycling. Two of the strategic alliance’s members – O’right and Da Fon Environmental Technology – are jointly producing 100% renewable plastic bottles for hair care products. They use technology that is more demanding than the conventional mixing of recycled plastic with new plastic, thus raising the technological bar for plastic recycling and reuse in Taiwan. They have also established dedicated recycling stations so that the containers can be sorted for recycling. Another Taiwan company – DA.AI Technology – has been granted a patent on its waste textile recycling technique that uses offcuts and recycled PET bottles to manufacture eco-friendly blankets, scarves and fleece vests.