The operation periods of each public incinerator in Taiwan have reached their limits in recent years. Clearance efficiency has also decreased due to the considerations of facility capacity and safety. In addition, according to statistics revealed by the EPA, the total quantity of solid waste in Taiwan is still increasing annually. Moreover, incinerators have not been established in every local municipal government’s jurisdiction, sometimes resulting in support difficulties based on political considerations. As a result, public opinion regards industrial waste has suppressed the clearance capacity of general waste. In order to resolve the situation, several associated measures have been planned and undertaken by government, including strengthening the recycling mechanisms of waste resources, and dispatching the excessive clearance quantity of each incinerator. Increasing clearance facilities is considered to be another crucial measure.

Since late 1990’s, the IDB started to plan with local land in developing industrial parks for waste clearance. In the 62 industrial parks under the jurisdiction of the MOEA, 11 incinerators have been established and are presently functioning, and these are mainly responsible for the clearance of general waste produced by households. The total clearance amount is roughly 1,403,700 tons per year.

The MOEA is also focused on the reuse and reduction of solid waste. Up to now, 80% of solid industrial waste can be successfully reused as industrial materials. However, as was revealed by the media recently, the clearance of sludge produced by the electronic industry and the textile industry is encountering difficulties due to the capacity shrinkage of clearance firms.

In order to provide assistance to the sludge-clearance efforts mentioned above, the IDB summoned associated industrial firm representatives in August of 2015 for a conference, reaching a conclusion to release lands as sites for sludge clearance. After preparation and planning for over six months, a 15-hectare plot of land located in the Changhua Coastal Industrial Park was chosen, and will be put up for auction to offer firms capable of such professions as a clearance site to solve the problem.

The land is divided into six hectares and nine hectares to provide operation for two firms, allowing for the clearance of general and hazardous sludge, and general industrial waste produced either inside or outside of industrial parks. The clearance process includes incineration and landfill of incinerated ash. Landfill of other waste is not permitted. The auction is composed of three stages: In addition to the quality inspection of bidders in the first stage and the price auction in the third stage, in order to ensure that the land will be used properly, an evaluation of the clearance capability of bidders conducted by professional experts has been added to the second stage.

To ensure that the land is used properly, with reference to the “Industrial Land Policy Renewal Plan,” the time limit for applications of environmental evaluation is being regulated, and the IDB retains the right to repurchase the land without interest if the lands are not used as planned.