In response to climate change, and to prevent the next drought, the Water Resources Agency plans to build a desalination plant on the island. The Environmental Protection Agency held the 423rd environmental impact assessment meeting yesterday (13th) to review the "Tainan Desalination Plant Construction Plan" and the "Hsinchu Desalination Plant Construction Plan", and both proposals were approved. In the future, the two desalination plants will be in operation, with a total water production of up to 300,000 CMD (tons/day), but will also consume 384 million kWh of electricity each year. Water supply has been unstable in recent years. The Water Resources Agency: Building a desalination plant will increase water supply resilience. In recent years, severe droughts have occurred frequently, and the problem of tight regional water supply has come to the fore. Although Tainan has the Zengwen and Nanhua reservoirs, they are greatly affected by the wet and dry seasons. In the past ten years, seven of them have implemented water supply reductions for people's livelihood, industry or irrigation due to low rainfall; Hsinchu has to adjust the water sources of the Shimen Reservoir in Taoyuan and the Yongheshan Reservoir in Miaoli for a long time because the capacity of the Baoyi and Baoer Reservoirs is relatively small. In order to reduce the risk of water shortage, the Water Resources Agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs plans to build desalination plants on state-owned land along the coast of Jiangjun, Tainan and Nanliao, Hsinchu. At the environmental impact assessment conference yesterday, the Water Resources Agency stated that in addition to Taiwan, record-breaking droughts have also occurred around the world. Taiwan is surrounded by the sea, and the construction of desalination plants will help improve the resilience of water supply. The Tainan Desalination Plant and the Hsinchu Desalination Plant, planned by the Southern District Water Resources Bureau and the Northern District Water Resources Bureau of the Water Resources Agency respectively, passed the environmental impact assessment conference yesterday. The Hsinchu plant covers an area of ​​10 hectares and has a water production capacity of 100,000 CMD; the Tainan plant covers an area of ​​17 hectares and will be built in two phases. The first phase will produce 100,000 CMD. After five years of operation, the second phase will be added, and the water production will increase to 200,000 CMD.

How difficult is it to remove the plastic label from a PET bottle? This summer, Coca-Cola launched a new brand, "bonaqua," an industry-leading, first-of-its-kind "single-bottle, label-free" bottled product. Using innovative laser engraving technology, product information is directly engraved on the bottle, replacing the old bottle label, reducing plastic usage and making PET bottle recycling more convenient. In an interview, Taiwan Watch Secretary-General Xie Helin stated that laser engraving on the bottle does not require additional pigments, which increases recycling efficiency and is likely to be welcomed by PET bottle processors. The Environmental Protection Agency is also optimistic about this approach and has suggested that differential rates may be used to encourage industry adoption. The first label-free product sold in single bottles will have product information laser-engraved on the bottle. On June 29th, Coca-Cola held a press conference to announce the official launch of its first label-free, single-bottle product in Taiwan this summer. This "bonaqua Yi Yang" alkaline ionized water adopts a fully transparent design, with the brand logo presented in embossed form, and the product information is also engraved on the bottle using the industry's innovative laser engraving technology, and the sales barcode is printed on the top of the bottle cap instead. However, where is the sustainable future of "one less label"? Chen Zhengfeng, general manager of Coca-Cola Taiwan, explained that lasering product information on the bottle not only improves the convenience of recycling, but also successfully breaks the threshold that unlabeled products can only be sold in boxes in the past. It is currently the only unlabeled product on the market in Taiwan that can be sold individually. He said that rather than starting with lightweight packaging, the reason for choosing no label is "to give consumers a more intuitive feeling, and see that it is transparent."

Bubble tea is a popular drink in Taiwan, and the shaken beverage industry is internationally renowned. However, according to the latest statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency, 4 billion disposable beverage cups are used annually in Taiwan, placing a significant burden on the recycling system. With the implementation of a NT$5 discount on bring-your-own beverage cups starting July 1st, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that this will reduce the use of beverage cups by 580 million per year, up from the current NT$1-3 discount of 150 million. Environmental Protection Agency data also shows that, unlike beverage shops, breakfast shops saw a significant increase in plastic cup use between 2019 and 2020. Environmental groups warn that breakfast shops and street vendors also use significant amounts of plastic cups and will inevitably be subject to future restrictions. They urge the government not to backtrack due to backlash and lobbying from businesses. The Chinese use 4 billion beverage cups annually, more than half of which are plastic cups, with the beverage industry using the most. In 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency calculated that 1.5 billion disposable beverage cups are used in China each year. Ten years later, the Environmental Protection Agency conducted another survey and found that a total of 3.99 billion disposable beverage cups were used in 2020, an increase of more than two times. Wang Yuebin, executive secretary of the Environmental Protection Agency's Recycling Foundation Management Committee, explained that the statistics this time include all usage statistics of "stores subject to regulations on the use of beverage cups" and "unregulated". If only regulated stores are counted, the Chinese use about 2.2 billion disposable beverage cups each year. According to the Environmental Protection Agency's "2021 Single-Use Plastic Product Source Reduction Work Plan", about 260,000 businesses were surveyed, including breakfast shops, vendors and other industries that are not regulated but have a high use of disposable beverage cups. Disposable beverage cups are made of plastic (PE, PP

Taiwan uses up to 4 billion disposable beverage cups annually. To reduce waste at the source, new plastic restrictions, effective July 1st, will not only impose a NT$5 price difference for bringing your own beverage cups, but also require chain convenience stores and fast-food restaurants to offer free reusable cup rentals starting next year (2023). With only six months left, can reusable containers offer a viable alternative to bringing your own beverage cups? The supply chain for reusable containers encompasses manufacturing, cleaning, and logistics. Song Yizhen, co-founder of "Hao He Qi," a reusable container rental service, told the Environmental Information Center that the biggest shortage currently lies in cleaning services. Fast food restaurants and convenience stores will be required to offer free reusable cups starting in 2023. However, insufficient supply chains are hindering implementation, and Taiwan's plastic restrictions have taken another step toward banning them. Under the Environmental Protection Administration's new plastic reduction regulations, chain beverage stores, convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, and supermarkets will be required to offer a price difference of at least NT$5 between customers who bring their own beverage cups and those who don't. Not only that, starting from January 1, 2023, chain convenience stores and fast food restaurants must also complete the first phase of the goal of providing free "recyclable cup" lending services in 5% of stores. This is the first time that the concept of "using recycled containers" has been included in the regulations. At the same time, the industry is also facing a brand new market for recycled containers. At the policy discussion meeting on the restriction of beverage cups held by the Environmental Protection Agency this year, some fast food operators pointed out that the market supply is insufficient and recycled containers may face a "supply shortage" situation. Song Yizhen, co-founder of "Hao He Qi", a recycling container rental service provider, admitted that there had never been regulations in the past that included recycling containers.

To increase green energy generation, the Ministry of Economic Affairs is promoting "fishery-electricity symbiosis" in coastal areas. However, the public believes that while the central government has a broad policy direction, it lacks clear regulations and implementation principles. Furthermore, planning often focuses on developers, without necessarily considering fishermen and environmental sustainability. The Changhua County Wild Bird Society and the Changhua County Aquaculture Association have therefore jointly proposed a localized fishery-electricity symbiosis plan, emphasizing that it aligns with the region's aquaculture characteristics and aims to prevent industry from fully dominating the development of fishery-electricity symbiosis. The plan proposes retaining the earthen embankments between aquaculture ponds as bird habitats, concentrating photovoltaic panels on aquaculture ponds with lower light requirements, and paving sidewalks around the site to balance environmental protection, fishermen's rights, and local needs. Support green energy, but it must be worthy of the name: Changhua groups jointly promote the "local version" of fish-electricity symbiosis. The Changhua County Wild Bird Society and the Changhua County Breeding Association jointly proposed a fish-electricity symbiosis plan suitable for the local area. Today (13th), they issued a press release stating that the public expects photovoltaic panels in the "fish-electricity symbiosis" system to protect aquaculture from heavy rainfall and excessively high pond water levels in summer, and to set up windbreaks in winter to resist cold currents. At the same time, for photovoltaic panels to enter Changhua fish ponds, they must take into account the ecological environment, the fishermen's economy and the lives of local people. In recent years, the government has vigorously promoted fish-electricity symbiosis, and many people have a positive attitude because it can increase the diversified use of land. However, at present, fish-electricity symbiosis only has a central policy direction, and local governments can only passively accept development plans led by photovoltaic companies, which may not necessarily achieve sustainable land use. Li Yixin, Secretary-General of the Changhua County Wild Bird Association, said in an interview that the people of Changhua welcome

Net zero carbon emissions have become an international trend. The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) today (10th) released the results of a survey on the “net zero sustainable behavior” of Taiwanese people. It was found that the most common carbon reduction behaviors being implemented are “purchasing products with energy-saving labels or energy efficiency labels” and “reducing the number of new clothes purchased each year by half.” The survey also pointed out that the current rate of carbon reduction behaviors and future willingness of young people aged 18 to 24 are both low. ITRI called on the government to strengthen relevant education and publicity in order to achieve the 2050 net zero carbon emission target. Taiwan’s carbon reduction behavior survey: Purchasing energy-saving label home appliances and reducing the number of new clothes purchased each year by half are the most popular behaviors. Taiwan’s goal is to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, but whether the entire society can respond and how to successfully transform has become the focus of current discussion. ITRI held the “2022 Taiwan Manufacturing Industry Outlook and Net Zero Sustainability Focus Issues Presentation” today, and released the Taiwan Net Zero Sustainable Behavior Survey [1] at the meeting to analyze the willingness of Taiwanese people to reduce carbon emissions. Lin Zhixun, Director of Energy Strategy at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), said that behavioral changes in people's daily lives are the key to initiating a net-zero transition. In order to achieve the government and industry's net-zero transition goals, it is necessary to first understand the Taiwanese people's cognition and actual behaviors regarding net-zero sustainability. The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has drawn up 20 net-zero sustainable behaviors covering aspects of life such as food, clothing, housing, transportation, entertainment, and supplies. It has sent questionnaires to adults of different age groups, asking about the current status of these behaviors and their willingness to implement them in the future. The survey found that the current execution rate of the 20 net-zero sustainable behaviors by Taiwanese people is relatively low. "When purchasing home appliances, only purchase appliances with energy-saving standards.

With rising environmental awareness and consumer demand for low-carbon ingredients and eco-friendly packaging, this trend is not only driving the development of plant-based meat and sustainable grain foods, but is also gradually spreading to the catering industry. What new challenges will this bring to restaurant services? Deliverect, a multinational company that develops digital catering order integration systems, released an exclusive report on April 20, 2022. After conducting a dietary survey of 7,000 consumers worldwide, they found that environmental protection and sustainability awareness are influencing consumers' demand for food. Therefore, Deliverect uses the survey results to provide restaurants with four ways to respond to improve their competitiveness. 43% of consumers are willing to pay more for restaurants to "increase sustainable ingredients." Deliverect found that although 65% of consumers believe that healthier or more sustainable ingredients are more expensive, 43% are still willing to pay for them, and 47% will even change their original orders and choose more sustainable meals. In other words, nearly half of consumers are willing and happy to pay more for environmental sustainability. Therefore, Deliverect recommends that restaurants offer more local ingredients. "Based on our order data, whether a restaurant is keeping up with the sustainability trend is becoming a key consideration for consumers when choosing a restaurant," Deliverect believes that if the restaurant industry can develop in a sustainable direction, it will align with current consumer trends and help increase restaurant sales and profits.