The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) and 24 companies, non-government organizations and academic institutes in Taiwan formed an alliance Monday aimed at designing non-polluting products.
The alliance, which follows the “cradle to cradle” concept that seeks to create products that are safe and recyclable, is the first of its kind in Asia.
“Cradle to cradle” is a design approach based on the principle that everything is designed to be a nutrient for something else, is produced by renewable energy and contributes to diversity.
This is opposed to the traditional product design concept, which follows the “cradle to grave” model of resource extraction, manufacture, product use and eventual discarding.
So far, over 400 products worldwide have received “cradle to cradle” certification, including two from Taiwan.
The EPA said it hopes the formation of the alliance can help more Taiwanese products obtain the “cradle to cradle” eco-label and can also boost the promotion of Taiwanese brands around the world.
Environmental protection groups and companies from the textile, materials, electronics, cosmetics and consultancy industries are among the initial members of the Taiwan alliance.
The application of the concept not only allows resources to be reused but can also reduce the cost of developing raw materials and save on company spending, which can benefit the companies, their consumers and the environment, according to the Taiwan branch of the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency, the scientific institute that is implementing the concept.
Michael Braungart, CEO of the Hamburg-based agency, said Taiwan is an ideal place to implement the “cradle to cradle” concept because its people “have the ability to think in cycles.”
He said the alliance will benefit Taiwan, as more and more companies adopt the concept around the world.
Mentioning German footwear maker Puma as an example, Braungart said that since the company has adopted the “cradle to cradle” concept, other firms that hope to be long-term suppliers for Puma now also have to implement the concept.
The agency will train young people on the concept and cooperate with technical universities in Taiwan in research in the field, said Braungart, who added that he expects the Taiwan alliance to grow to 150 members over the next year.
