Government policies for encouraging industrial waste reuse and pollution prevention in Taiwan

In order to conservatively utilize natural resources, Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), has mandated the regulatory system and promotion programs for industrial waste reuse and pollution prevention. The newly-designated 43 items for reuse were promulgated by the MOEA under the authorization of the Waste Disposal Act (WDA) in January 2002. Also, joint efforts at industrial waste minimization (IWM) have made noteworthy progress towards the promotion of reusing/reducing industrial waste since 1990. The IWM program not only provides technical assistance and financial incentives, but also enhances resource reuse and conservation through Industrial Waste Exchange Information Service Center. These measures have brought significant benefits by saving treatment/disposal costs and improving productivity. This paper presents the regulatory system and implementation promotion on industrial waste reuse and pollution prevention in Taiwan.