Sparking Taiwan's first circular building, Taiwan and the Netherlands join hands on the world's first whole-building material circularity case
The Netherlands, a major flower-producing country, is taking part in the Taichung World Flora Exposition not only to showcase its agricultural strength, but also to lay the foundation for Taiwan's circular future. The Netherlands Trade and Investment Office (NTIO), representing the Dutch government, has brought together 4 leading Dutch companies and Taiwan Sugar Corporation, working with industry, government and academia in both the Netherlands and Taiwan, to build Taiwan's first circular building in the International Courtyard Area of the Houli Forest Park at the Taichung World Flora Exposition. It will also be the world's first circular building that is about to be dismantled, with the aim of putting the concept of "circular use of building materials" into practice.
Lai Ying-Ying, Director-General of the Waste Management Department of the Environmental Protection Administration, said that the "circular economy" is one of the country's 5+2 Industrial Innovation Plan items, and the EPA has worked hard to promote it for many years. In June of this year (2018), the EPA, referring to the spirit of the Netherlands' "Green Deal," promoted the signing of a "Green Agreement" between businesses and alliances, hoping to create a win-win situation for both the economy and the environment through public-private cooperation. The EPA, the Circular Taiwan Foundation, the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy, and the Taichung City Greater Taichung Architects Association were invited to serve as strategic advisors for the Netherlands Pavilion at the Taichung World Flora Exposition. In this regard, Lai Ying-Ying welcomes the cooperation on the Netherlands Pavilion at the Taichung World Flora Exposition, and believes that the public and private sectors taking part will all gain valuable experience and contribute to the development of circular building in Taiwan.
Heat-insulating paint effectively lowers temperatures; powder coatings leave zero waste
At the same time, 4 leading Dutch companies and Taiwan Sugar are also showcasing new technologies and new models of the circular economy in the Netherlands National Pavilion. AkzoNobel, the world's largest coatings company, has ranked first globally on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index 5 times in the past 6 years, and 4 of its technology products are used in the Netherlands Pavilion.
Ho Chi-Ting, General Manager of AkzoNobel Taiwan Co., Ltd., said that the roof of the Netherlands Pavilion uses "Bekelou," from AkzoNobel's well-known brand Dulux. In addition to being waterproof, it uses highly reflective technology for heat insulation, which can cool the roof by 10 degrees and the interior by 5 degrees, reducing air-conditioning electricity use. In addition, the orange beams and columns of the Netherlands Pavilion use Interpon powder coatings. Besides protecting building materials and extending their reusable lifespan, the coatings generate no wastewater or waste gas from production to spray application, and unused powder coatings are also recovered and reused through a recovery system, achieving a utilization rate of at least 98% and greatly reducing waste.
The world's only recyclable carpet makes its first appearance in Taiwan
Dutch materials company DSM has been named for 3 consecutive years among Fortune's "Change the World" companies, and for 2 years running has also been rated by Sustainalytics as the chemical industry company with the best environmental, social and governance performance. This time, DSM is providing the Netherlands Pavilion with the world's first recyclable carpet, "Niaga," making its first appearance in Taiwan. Shao Chung-Yi, General Manager of DSM Taiwan, said that over the years DSM has used the most advanced technology to improve people's lives today and in the future, and that the "circular economy" theme of the Netherlands Pavilion at the Taichung World Flora Exposition fits exactly with DSM's "3P policy": Planet, People and Profit.
Shao Chung-Yi pointed out that carpets are woven and bonded from multiple materials and are difficult to recycle, so more than 95% of carpets worldwide are landfilled or incinerated, causing a major impact on the environment. DSM redesigned the product and the manufacturing process to make the carpet material uniform and the adhesive separable, so that carpets can be recycled and remanufactured into carpet material and made into carpets again. And "Niaga" spelled backwards is exactly "again," symbolizing the circular economy of recycling and reuse.
Selling light, not lamps: a century-old Dutch company's new business
Dutch company Signify, which provides Philips lighting products and has a 127-year history, is this time lending its lighting system free of charge, embodying the circular business model of "renting instead of buying" and "selling light, not lamps."
Yu Yung-Tao, General Manager of Signify Taiwan Co., Ltd. and Global Vice President, said that Signify's circular lighting integrates 3 aspects of the business, including modular product design that favors repair over disposal; next, a smart connected system that uses sensors to enable better interaction between people and light; and finally, renting instead of selling, so that businesses do not need to consider long-term fixed-asset investment or complex technical systems, and only need to buy lighting services from Signify to enjoy top-tier lighting with light assets.
In addition, Yu Yung-Tao specifically mentioned that, besides installing solar panel street lights outside the Netherlands Pavilion at the Taichung World Flora Exposition, Signify has also deployed the Interact City Philips smart road lighting system in the Taichung Precision Machinery Park, so that both the government and the public can easily enjoy the benefits of connected lighting, which is not only convenient and energy-saving but can also be effectively managed.
Promoting a new economic model: Dutch banks "have no shirking responsibility"
The Dutch bank ING was selected by Global Finance as the world's best bank last year (2017), and is also taking part in the Netherlands Pavilion at the Taichung World Flora Exposition this time. Yang Shih-Ching, Executive Vice President of the Taipei Branch of ING Bank N.V., pointed out: "Any new economic model, without the support of the banking and financial industry and the injection of capital, can never flourish"; therefore, through the Netherlands Pavilion at the Taichung World Flora Exposition to promote the importance of the circular economy, the ING Group "has no shirking responsibility."
Yang Shih-Ching said that ING Bank began investing in research on sustainable operation and the circular economy in 1996, actively cooperating with international institutions; this year (2018), it further joined with 2 other Dutch banks to launch the world's first set of circular economy financing guidelines at the United Nations high-level political forum, hoping to awaken the banking and financial industry's attention to the circular economy. By taking part in the Netherlands Pavilion at the Taichung World Flora Exposition, he hopes not only to demonstrate ING Bank's determination to promote the circular economy, but also, through professional assistance, to become the best partner for Taiwan's government and businesses in moving toward a circular economy.
Taiwan Sugar leads the way, guiding a circular Taiwan
Taiwan Sugar Corporation, with a history of more than 70 years, has promoted the circular economy in Taiwan for many years and is also taking part in building the Netherlands Pavilion at the Taichung World Flora Exposition this time. Huang Yu-Cheng, Chairman of Taiwan Sugar and the Circular Taiwan Foundation, said that the wood for the indoor flooring, doors and furniture of the Netherlands Pavilion comes from the Pier-2 Dayong Sugar Warehouse in Kaohsiung, built in 1949. The wood was originally the roof trusses, but the trusses later sagged and were difficult to repair, so they were dismantled and preserved; this time they are being reused, with the process trying as much as possible not to damage the mortise-and-tenon structure, in the hope that they can continue to serve as building materials in the future.
Huang Yu-Cheng pointed out that he hopes this cooperation will allow Taiwan's industry and government sectors to see that Taiwan Sugar has many resources, from wood to idle spaces, that can all become important platforms for promoting the circular economy and building a forward-looking circular Taiwan. After the flora exposition ends, the Netherlands Pavilion will be recreated at the Yuemei Sugar Factory, which Taiwan Sugar Corporation is in the process of transforming, and it is hoped that it will stand out in the "Taiwan Circular Design Park" at Yuemei and become a model of circular building.
Putting circular building into practice Experts will draft recommendations
The Taiwan Architecture and Building Research Institute will use Building Information Modeling to create a building material passport for the Netherlands Pavilion at the Taichung World Flora Exposition, recording and disclosing information on all building materials, so that they can be conveniently reused in the future and the building can become a building material bank that temporarily stores building materials. In addition, they will also record the challenges and opportunities encountered in implementing circular building in Taiwan, and plan to publish "White Paper on Implementing Circular Construction: The Netherlands National Pavilion as an Example."
Professor Lu Liang-Cheng, President of the Taiwan Architecture and Building Research Institute, said that a 16-member Dutch delegation of industry, government and academia representatives submitted the Dutch construction industry's transformation agenda earlier this year, detailing the schedule and recommended changes for the Netherlands' move toward circular building; and when the Netherlands Pavilion at the Taichung World Flora Exposition is dismantled next year, it will be the world's first circular building to be dismantled, and is worth documenting as a reference.
At present, Lu Liang-Cheng offers 3 observations worth considering as Taiwan promotes circular building. First, in designing circular buildings, Taiwan must take earthquakes and typhoons into account, and think about what approaches can ensure safety while also solving the problems of insufficient natural resources and waste disposal. Second, when the Taiwan government subsidizes the renovation of dangerous and old buildings, circular design considerations should also be included, so as to expand the relevant market demand. Third, Taiwan's current procurement system does not include cases of purchasing or renting old building materials, and indicators should be established to quantify circularity, so as to calculate the benefits brought by the circular economy each year.