Plastic kingdom – 5.2 billion recycled plastic bottles in 2018

According to statistics from the Environmental Protection Administration, Taiwan recycled a total of 530,000 metric tons of plastic in 2018, which included 5.2 billion plastic bottles. Such an enormous recycling volume poses a significant threat to the environment. In order to promote the concept of recycling and reusing plastic bottles to live more sustainable lives, NGOs have combined forces with eco-awareness centers. After carrying out the preliminary classification and disassembly of plastic bottles, the centers hand the bottles over to industry professionals to be transformed into fiber.

Eco-friendly fiber manufacturers combine raw materials with new technologies to create value-added clothing products. Today's clothing made from eco-friendly fiber not only have moisture-wicking and anti-odor properties, but are also quick-drying. Although Taiwan has the expertise to turn garbage into gold, only through raising environmental awareness and reducing our plastic usage can we achieve the goal of truly living in harmony with the earth.

以下為中文對照

根據行政院環保署統計，台灣2018年塑膠總回收量為53萬公噸，而其中寶特瓶則高達52億支，如此龐大的回收量對於環境造成了重大的危害。為了推廣寶特瓶回收再利用與永續共生的理念，民間企業結合環保教育站志工，首先進行寶特瓶的初步分類與拆解，再交給業者完成抽紗工作。

環保紗業者將既有原料結合新技術，增加衣服附加價值，現今由環保紗製成的衣物不僅具備排汗、除臭功能，還結合了快乾的特性。雖然台灣擁有將垃圾變黃金的專業技術，但唯有喚起眾人的環保意識，一起減少塑膠製品使用量，才能真正達到愛護地球、永續共生的目標。