Site Visit - Tue, Oct. 21

This route delves into Taiwan’s textile design, R&D, and manufacturing processes. Participants will engage with designers, researchers, and manufacturers to see how circularity is embedded across product design, material development, and production. The route also highlights academia-industry collaborations driving circular textile innovation.

• Shih Chien University – Fashion Design Department: The Department of Fashion Design at Shih Chien University is the first higher education institution in Taiwan dedicated to fashion design. The department is committed to nurturing professional designers with innovative capabilities and independent thinking. By integrating circular design principles on campus, the program showcases the creativity of young Taiwanese designers in zero-waste pattern making and upcycled garment design. Gaining hands-on experience with advanced smart garment sorting systems to explore the forward-looking potential of sustainable fashion.
• Textile Industry Research Institute: A premier R&D center offering textile technology, testing, certification, and recycling innovation. A one-stop introduction to Taiwan’s circular textile ecosystem.
• Hop Lion Feather Works Corp: Hop Lion, a century-old feather and down company in Taiwan, has established a “a Comprehensive Down Circularity System” to advance corporate sustainability. Discarded down duvets and production scraps from the hospitality industry are redesigned and transformed into new bedding items, which are reintroduced into accommodations under a fresh identity. Through its “Down Bedding-as-a-Service” model, Hop Lion offers leasing solutions that include professional cleaning and maintenance to extend product lifespan. This circular approach enhances both the sustainability image of hospitality providers and the overall guest experience, creating new value through service-based consumption.
• Nan Ya Plastics (TBC): With long-term efforts in PET and plastic recycling, Nan Ya established the brand SAYA, which transforms plastic waste into high-performance yarns, enhancing the value and applications of recycled materials.

This route focuses on circular practices in Taiwan’s high-tech sector and supply chains, particularly around resource recirculation and waste reduction. Emphasis is placed on repair as a core strategy for innovation and value retention. Visits include sites for recycling, dismantling, regeneration, and repair, revealing how government, industry, and civil society collaborate to build a sustainable circular system.

• TSMC Taichung Zero-Waste Manufacturing Center: TSMC, the world’s largest semiconductor foundry, has built the first global Circular Economy Demonstration Center. It collaborates with suppliers to recycle chemicals and sludge from semiconductor processes back into industrial use.
• E&E Recycling (TBC): Taiwan’s largest electronic waste recycling company, co-founded by several appliance brands. Visitors can observe the dismantling process and understand Taiwan’s e-waste management system.
• Bestyield: An internationally certified electronics repair service provider, showcasing chip-level repair technology and practical production line operations.

This route examines circular design and practices in buildings, interiors, and temporary facilities. It explores modular design, flexible space utilization, and material reuse to extend the lifecycle of structures. Participants will witness how interdisciplinary collaboration integrates material, design, and engineering systems for circular outcomes.

• Bio-Architecture Formosana: A pioneer of circular architecture in Taiwan, their office features recycled materials, modular design, and furniture that’s easy to disassemble and reuse.
• Kedge Construction Co., Ltd.: A temporary site office built for reuse, designed for quick assembly and disassembly through modular construction, preventing post-project waste.
• Taipei 101 : An international green building icon. It houses the world’s first commercial furniture rental space in collaboration with IKEA and uses a cutting-edge waste collection system capable of efficiently processing garbage from over 80 floors.
• Far Eastern BEONE Circular Hub: Once a spa and fitness center, the space is transformed into a sustainability-driven venue by repurposing old renovation materials and integrating circular construction principles.

This route centers on the development and application of circular materials in Taiwan, especially plastics. Participants will follow the recycling value chain—from collection and sorting to R&D, manufacturing, and brand implementation—to understand how Taiwan drives innovation and cross-sector collaboration to scale the use of recycled materials in diverse industries.

• Sustainable Materials Library (SML): A curated library of nearly 800 recycled and sustainable material samples. It helps businesses incorporate circular materials throughout product development.
• Dafong Environmental Technology: One of Taiwan’s largest recycling companies, Da Fon combines collection, sorting, and processing to shift from waste treatment to material supply, including recycled plastics.

This route explores how local organizations integrate recycling, upcycling, space activation, and community participation into daily life and local culture. It focuses on sustainability-driven business models that bridge circular economy with place-based development through tourism, education, and industry collaboration.

• REWOOD: In collaboration with local governments and industries, REWOOD recycles tree trimmings into high-value products and fosters job creation through carpentry workshops.
• IMMA Village: A former military retail building repurposed into a community hub for secondhand goods and repair services. It promotes local employment and community bonding through circular economy initiatives.
• Spring Pool Glass：Taiwan’s leader in glass recycling, Spring Pool develops recycled glass sand and beads for applications in construction, art, and tech, showcasing circular material innovation.
• Tzu Chi Neihu Recycling Education Center: Tzu Chi is Taiwan’s largest Buddhist charity organization. With a wide network of volunteers across the island, it plays a key role in promoting waste sorting and achieving Taiwan’s high recycling rate. At the Neihu Recycling Education Center, visitors can experience hands-on sorting and upcycling, and observe how civil society drives environmental education in Taiwan.