Sustainable Environment
The climate emergency is upon us, and it’s up to all of us to do our part to tackle climate change. As extreme weather events become more frequent, it’s vital that companies take action and implement more eco-friendly business practices. That’s why we’ve set energy-saving and carbon-reduction goals for every business unit. We’re committed to improving our energy utilization efficiency and reducing our carbon footprint.
Energy Management
Business growth and protecting the environment are not mutually exclusive endeavors. To improve the overall energy efficiency of the Group, we have regularly upgraded and renovated old equipment, strengthened personnel management, and replaced energy-consuming equipment with energy-saving equipment. The work is supervised by relevant responsible unit, and regular inspections are conducted for continuous improvement.
• Energy Consumption
The Group completed the installation of natural gas boilers and surrounding pipelines at its Xiangshan laundry factory in Miaoli County on June 30, 2020. Starting from January 1, 2021, the old coalfired boilers were decommissioned and replaced by new, energy-efficient liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) boilers for power generation. In March 2022, the Xiangshan factory installed and started using a brand-new orbital washing machine, along with six direct-fired dryers, for improved energy efficiency. The energy saving rate for the three years reached 31%.
• GHG Emissions
In order to gain a better understanding of the greenhouse gas emissions across our company’s various facilities and to establish clearer carbon reduction strategies, we conducted an initial assessment in 2022 focusing on six factories in Cambodia. Building upon this initiative, we plan to expand the assessment scope to include factories in Taiwan, the Philippines, and other locations in 2023. We will pursue external verification and obtain ISO 14064 certification. This will further enable us to develop carbon reduction targets and continue leading the Group towards sustainability.
• Air Pollution Management
During the washing and drying process at the Group’s laundry factory, no ozone-depleting substances (“ODS”) are produced, and all other major emissions are within limits.
Energy-Saving and Carbon-Reduction Efforts of Medtecs in 2022
Water Resources Management
We are well aware of the importance of water resources management. Through a water resources assessment tool, our three major subsidiaries have determined that Taiwan is of low to medium (low-medium) risk, Cambodia is of medium to high (medium-high) risk, and the Philippines is of high risk. The Group proactively manages water usage and continuously explores more efficient methods for water recycling to promote sustainability, regardless of the results of the risk assessment.
• Water Usage
Taiwan
Medtecs’ laundry factory purchased a new orbital washing machine with a water recycling function. The relatively clean rinse water at the end of the washing process can be pumped to the front of the orbital washing machine for pre-washing of dirty clothes to reduce water consumption in the washing process.
Cambodia
The subsidiary in Cambodia maintains a strict practice of using filtered water provided by a reputable company. Regular inspections of the water are conducted every three months to ensure its safety and reliability for customers.
Philippines
The subsidiary in the Philippines plans to build a rainwater collection facility, as the Philippines has a rainy season of 3-4 months. If this system can be utilised to supply water to dyeing factory during the rainy season, it can reduce water consumption by at least 30%.
• Wastewater Management
Medtecs has set up pollution prevention and control facilities in each factory, or commissioned specialized operators to properly handle the waste generated during operation in order to reduce its negative impact on the environment.
Taiwan
Most of the wastewater discharged by the Group's two laundry plants in Taiwan is laundry wastewater, and is discharged after being treated by the wastewater treatment facility in the plant, minimizing water pollution. The discharged water is also inspected by the local environmental protection department every year, all results have met the discharge standards.
Cambodia
Our Cambodia subsidiary does not use dyes in the manufacturing process; therefore, the wastewater generated is basically domestic wastewater. Nevertheless, the relevant responsible unit still conducts regular checks on the drinking water and filtered water to measure their potential of hydrogen (pH) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) values, ensuring that the water all meet the standards required by the local government for discharge.
Philippines
The subsidiary in the Philippines uses only low-polluting dyes, and prohibits the use of azo dyes. Furthermore, part of the cooling water used during the dyeing operation is recycled to reduce waste.
Waste Management
Guided by the mantra of “reduce, reuse, and recycle,” Medtecs is committed to enhancing the training of its production staff and related teams. The goal is to minimize production flaws from the get-go and substantially cut down on waste and scrap generation.
Taiwan
General industrial waste: Transported or incinerated by commissioned operator.
Cambodia
Leftover non-woven fabrics: The factory recycles leftover non-woven fabrics by turning the trimmings into plastic pellets. If there are any non-woven trimmings that cannot be recycled, the factory hands them over to legal and government-licensed waste treatment facilities in Cambodia for proper disposal.
Philippines
General waste: Managed and collected by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.
Hazardous waste: Companies that are identified, established, or registered with the Philippine Environmental Protection Agency have been authorized to collect such waste.