To align with the central government's circular economy policies, the New Taipei City Government sent a delegation to Germany in early June to study advanced waste management. The group conducted on-site visits to the REMONDIS Lippe Plant and the Frankfurt Heddernheim Waste-to-Energy Plant to learn how Germany redefines waste as a "resource." This initiative aims to embrace the latest trends in the circular economy by transforming urban waste into high-value recycled materials and renewable energy.

Cheng Da-Wei, Commissioner of the New Taipei City Environmental Protection Department, stated that Germany's achievements in waste management and resource recovery are well-recognized globally. This inspired the department's visit to study key technologies and roadmaps for resource transformation. During the tour, the delegation observed the REMONDIS Lippe Plant converting wood waste into community heating and retired electric vehicle (EV) batteries for energy storage. Additionally, the Frankfurt Heddernheim plant demonstrated how incineration waste heat supplies district heating, alongside its transition to green hydrogen.

Cheng pointed out that the core competitiveness lies in successfully transforming traditional "waste management" into "industrial production." By utilizing advanced sorting technologies and resource recovery systems, the city's facilities implement "material flow loops" and "industrial symbiosis." This approach unlocks the economic value of various waste streams, such as batteries and wood materials, ensuring residual energy is fully utilized or converted into essential raw materials for other industries.



New Taipei plans to integrate AI technology to improve waste management and construct a facility for producing biomass fuel from discarded furniture. In recent years, New Taipei City has proactively advanced its 'Waste-to-Energy' and energy utilization policies by systematically upgrading and modernizing its incineration plants. In 2025, the city's three incineration facilities processed a total of 918,000 metric tons of waste and generated 499,000 MWh of electricity through waste-to-energy conversion, meeting the annual power demands of approximately 103,000 households. This initiative not only boosted incineration capacity by 6% and slashed air pollutant emissions by 30% to 70%, but also effectively offset approximately 233,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, demonstrating a steady, pragmatic execution of the city's circular economy and net-zero transition initiatives.

Looking ahead, the modernization and upgrading of the waste-to-energy plants will not only boost waste processing capacity and power generation efficiency but also increase local feedback funding. These funds will directly subsidize utility bills and health insurance premiums for neighboring residents, support emergency relief, maintain public facilities, and continuously improve the local living environment. Concurrently, the facilities are driving an energy transition by upgrading chillers, optimizing manufacturing processes, and installing advanced air-cooled condenser systems and variable frequency drives. These efficiency measures will successfully transform traditional waste facilities into sustainable hubs that integrate energy supply, environmental education, and resource recovery.

Moving forward, New Taipei City will continue to align with international trends. Through public-private partnerships, the city aims to build a robust market for circular materials. By integrating "smart governance" with a "product-as-a-service" mindset, the government will optimize its waste management systems and actively pursue its next-generation carbon reduction goals.