Recycling Opportunities: Nan Ya's Expansion into the Circular Economy

Nan Ya's Chairman, Jia-Chao Wu, stated that since 2007, the company has been involved in recycling and reusing PET products, including PET bottles, utilizing advanced PET recycling technology. This approach has resulted in a 72% reduction in carbon emissions compared to traditional petrochemical production methods. Furthermore, 90% of the recycled PET is used to produce high-value long-fiber, technically challenging products. International giants such as Adidas and Nike are among the company's partners.

   Nan Ya recycled a total of 14.6 billion PET bottles in 2020 and 2021, leading to a reduction of 320,000 tons of carbon emissions, equivalent to the annual carbon absorption of 809 Daan Forest Parks in Taiwan. Currently, Nan Ya is expanding opportunities for PET fiber recycling across four dimensions: PET bottle recycling, fabric recycling, material standardization, and original colored silk product development.

   In pursuit of this goal, Nan Ya has invested over 1.2 billion NT dollars to establish PET recycling lines in Taiwan, China, Vietnam, the United States, Thailand, and the Philippines. The annual recycling capacity was approximately 220,000 tons last year, with an estimated doubling to 420,000 tons by next year. In relative terms to the total annual PET production of 2.2 million tons, the recycling capacity has increased from 10% to nearly 20%.

   Jia-Chao Wu pointed out that of the global PET production, about 30% is used for PET bottles, while the rest is mainly used for textiles. Statistics show that 85% of discarded clothing is either buried or incinerated. Therefore, Nan Ya has embarked on developing fabric recycling technology and collaborating with leading brands to recycle their supply chain's excess fabric, cutting scraps, and post-consumer garments, thereby contributing to a circular economy in the textile industry.

   Furthermore, Nan Ya has partnered with the well-known Taiwan outdoor sports brand, "ATUNAS" to create the country's first circular textile demonstration supply chain. Jia-Chao Wu mentioned that to expand the scope and convenience of recycling, material standardization is the future trend. Nan Ya has initiated multiple development projects, such as the modification of polyester pellets for items like zippers and buttons, making the entire garment out of a single PET material for more convenient recycling.

   Currently, blinds and Roman shades are composed of various materials, including aluminum, PVC, ABS, and fabric. Nan Ya has collaborated with a leading domestic blinds manufacturer to produce polyester blinds by replacing these materials with modified PET.