The EPA worked with the hypermarket and retailer Carrefour to launch a secure information equipment recycling event, setting up five collecting spots in the northern, central, and southern regions of Taiwan that will operate during May-October 2021. Collected tablets and mobile phones will be destroyed physically to ensure privacy of information, and thus give the public peace of mind when handing over discarded tablets or mobile phones for recycling. Members of the public are urged to go to these designated spots to recycle.    

The EPA pointed out that the overall recycling rate for electric, electronic and information equipment in 2020 was 71.84%. Considering the concerns, the public have about privacy of information when they recycle these types of equipment, and that these concerns impact their willingness to recycle, the EPA cooperated with enterprises to develop data security equipment and organized events to promote secure recycling of information devices. By using external force to destroy parts where power buttons, SIM cards and charging ports are in waste tablets and mobile phones, the EPA hopes to effectively address people's privacy of information concerns. The EPA encourages the public to hand over their waste equipment at such sites, so that the component resources can get recycled and thus reduce the need for newly mined resources.     

Excerpt from Major Environmental Policies, June 2021

Go Back