Taiwan is finding new ways to upcycle the massive amounts of agricultural leftovers the country produces every day. The initiative has so far targeted pineapple peel, oyster shells and rice husks, and researchers plan to keep looking into ways to repurpose other byproducts.
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00:00Agriculture is an essential part of daily life, producing food for the nation,
00:06but it also generates tons of waste.
00:09In a bid to reduce these leftovers, Taiwan has developed various innovative technologies
00:15to maximize the use of agricultural by-products.
00:19Taiwan produces around 400,000 metric tons of pineapples every year,
00:24leaving up to 200,000 tons of pineapple peel as a by-product.
00:29To make better use of the leftovers,
00:31researchers have developed a method to transform the peel into silage
00:36to replace forage and cattle feed.
00:39This approach is not only sustainable,
00:41but also reduces cost by 30% compared to importing grass for feed.
00:46Is the peel different from the silage?
00:48Yes, it's the difference in nutrients.
00:50We add additional nutrients to it.
00:55Meanwhile, Taiwan's Fisheries Research Institute
00:58has found new purpose for leftover oyster shells.
01:01They can be ground into powder and formed into underwater reef structures.
01:06We try to provide the right conditions for the shellfish,
01:13oyster shells, and other invertebrates.
01:18Despite developing several new techniques to repurpose by-products,
01:22the government is still pushing harder for zero waste.
01:26It's now looking at other leftovers, such as rice husks.
01:30Our next step is to extract high-priced materials from the shell,
01:36such as silk, which is also an important industrial product.
01:40For the past decade, Taiwan has been working with research institutions
01:44to achieve zero waste goals.
01:47Though there is still a long way to go,
01:49it is certain that such an approach is needed,
01:52as creative new ways will be key to tackling climate change for a greener world.
01:57Patrick Chen and Tani Chi for Taiwan Plus.