Sustainable Environment
TCI's S factory stands for Safety, Standard, and Speed. Taiwan's Rock Park has passed GMP, GMPC, FSSC22000, SQF (Safe Quality Food), HACCP, ISO 9001, ISO 17025, ISO22000, ISO 22716, and ISO 14001 Environmental Management System, ISO 50001 Energy Management System, OHSAS 18001 and ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, BRC (British Retail Consortium) and, the rare US NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) and Australia's TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) certification, and the annual EcoVadis Corporate Social Responsibility Assessment. TCI can also assist customers in FDA registration, China food listing permit, Indonesia BPOM application registration, HALAL certification application, including MUI, JAKIM, THIDA and other HALAL types. Thus, allows customers to focus on marketing without worrying about the rapid expansion of the market and the regulatory and qualification requirements of each regional market.
Targeting Pollution Prevention
TCI formulated an environmental health and safety management policy and promoted various related management measures with this goal in mind. In addition, TCI conducts internal and external audits and third-party verifications annually to ensure compliance with ISO 9001 Quality Management System; ISO 14001 Environmental Management System; ISO 50001 Energy Management System; ISO 14064-1 Greenhouse gases Part 1：Specification with guidance; PAS2060 Specification for the Demonstration of Carbon Neutrality; OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety System (in line with the international standard correction TCI adopted the new version of ISO 45001 in 2020); and related environmental regulations. TCI complies with the Waste Disposal Act, Resource Recycling Act, Air Pollution Control Act, Noise Control Act, and Water Pollution Control Act.
In 2021, TCI did not receive any warnings or fines from relevant government agencies for violating corporate governance, labor, and environmental protection laws and regulations.
Air Quality
In order to maintain the air quality and the safety of the employees in each factory, TCI plants are equipped with ventilated enclosures that operate around the clock. Operations that may produce odors must be performed in the enclosures to prevent the tests from influencing indoor air quality. The ventilation capacity of the enclosures is regularly tested by a specialized unit to ensure their functionality. In addition, waste gases discharged by the containers are collected in independent pipes and filtered through activated carbon before discharge. The filtration system is overseen and maintained by a specialized unit to ensure that the quality of the waste gases meets the quality standards. In regards to air pollution, no volatile organic compounds (VOC) are produced at TCI’s production premises. Trace amounts of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx) come from testing the plant generator, emergency use, fire pumps, stackers and vehicles that use diesel, natural gas combustion of gas boilers, etc. Therefore, TCI regularly reviews existing facilities and manufacturing processes for recruitment that processes pollutants. In addition, TCI schedules regular inspections of boiler equipment and exhaust pipes to ensure that all emissions are in compliance with laws and regulations.
Waste Management
In terms of waste management, the goal is to increase the recycling rate of processed waste and reduce the amount of waste generated. TCI’s waste disposal is in compliance with related laws and regulations and applications for permits. The declaration of waste quantity is in accordance with the law. In addition, TCI commissions qualified institutions to assist with waste disposal. In regards to waste management, TCI’s principle is “When everyone sorts waste, waste will naturally become less; therefore, no value will become valuable, and valuable will become high value.” TCI strictly examines the qualifications of waste treatment institutions. Other than GPS tracking, TCI also ensures the status of waste disposal.
Noise Control
TCI's self-monitoring mechanisms and third-party organizations provide monitoring reports periodically. Noise levels are within regulatory standards in all office and factory environments, including the headquarters located in Neihu and the Panshi premises.
Water Resource Management
All water sources for TCI's Pingtung Precise iManufacturing Center industrial use are tap water. The approved water consumption is 1200 x (S5 + S9+12) + 300 x (S11) = 1500 CMD. S5 is the Functional Drink Factory, S9 is the Functional Food factory, S11 is the Eco Facial Mask Factory, and S12 is the ASRS Warehouse and office. S11 is designed with rainwater recovery piping for planting and irrigation, and the recovered RO concentrated water is used for toilet flushing. In addition, condensate water recovery is set up in the steam circuit of the PABP factory used for steam boiler water replenishment to improve the efficiency of use. In the future, TCI will continue to plan water conservation measures and recycling programs to manage water resources effectively.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| Water withdrawal ( tons) | 297,939 | 322,164 | 354,202 |
| Water Intensity (tons/US$Million revenue) | 1,452 | 1,570 | 1,734 |
Waste Water Management
All water sources The wastewater plant of the Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park Administration treats the wastewater from TCI’s factory. The S5 and S9 functional drink and food factories have separate wastewater treatment facilities. Before discharging to the Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park wastewater treatment plant, the factory initially improves water quality items such as water temperature, pH, suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, and biochemical oxygen demand. In addition, the Company also commissions an inspection company approved by the Environmental Protection Administration to conduct wastewater quality inspections every six months. The overall wastewater management process ensures that the discharged wastewater complies with the Water Pollution Control Act and the regulations of the Agricultural Biotechnology Park on water quality standards. No spills, overflows, or water quality violations occurred at the factory in 2021.
Carbon Emissions Management
Since the United Nations Government Panel on Climate Change has identified greenhouse gas emissions as the leading cause of climate change, and its impact is not only a change in the global environment but also an impact on the daily lives and economic activities of human beings around the world, we recognize that carbon emission management and carbon emission information disclosure has also become an important issue in corporate operations.
According to Taiwan’s current “Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act,” TCI is not included as a target of greenhouse gas emissions reporting and control. However, as international climate awareness has increased, climate change risk management, greenhouse gas management, and greenhouse gas emissions information disclosure have become important issues in corporate operation management. Since 2018, TCI has conducted annual greenhouse gas inventories according to the GHG Protocol in the Pingtung Rock Park, including direct emissions (Scope 1) and indirect emissions (Scope 2), and obtained ISO 14064-1 third-party verification. In 2021, Pingtung Rock Park's direct emissions amounted to 4,271tCO2e, and indirect energy emissions amounted to 10,536tCO2e.
Greenhouse Gas Emission Intensity
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| Direct (tCO2e) | 3,800 | 4,917 | 4,271 |
| Energy indirect (tCO2e) | 8,021 | 10,205 | 10,536 |
| Total (tCO2e) | 11,821 | 15,122 | 14,808 |
| Emission intensity (tCO2e/US$Million revenue) | 58 | 74 | 72 |
Note: The greenhouse gas emission data only covers the Pingtung Rock Park.
2019 GHG inventory audit certificate
2020 GHG inventory audit certificate
2021 GHG inventory audit certificate
External Initiatives
TCI focuses on international sustainability issues and trends. By publicly responding to international initiatives and committing to aspirational sustainability goals externally, the Company leads the way for sustainable transformation in the corporate world. Currently, the Company has already committed itself to a landmark initiative in the area of energy and climate change, and is actively involved in renewable energy development and energy reduction. In 2021, TCI’s Science Based Target (SBT) officially passed the audit, making it one of the few Taiwanese companies to have passed the audit.
| Initiative name | Year joined | Initiative Content | TCI’s goal |
| RE100 | 2018 | Responding enterprises must commit to using 100 percent renewable energy by 2050 | 100% use of renewable energy by 2030 |
| EP100 | 2019 | Responding enterprises must set targets for improving energy productivity or introduce energy management systems |
Group-wide energy management system by 2026, with a 35%* increase in energy productivity by 2040, with 2016 as the base year |
| SBTi | 2021 | Commitment to corporate carbon reduction targets based on a rigorous methodology developed by the Science-Based Target Reduction Initiative (SBTi) | 51% reduction in absolute emissions in Scope 1 and 2 and 15% reduction in Purchased Goods and Services in Scope 3 by 2030, with 2018 as the base year |
*EP100 Energy Productivity Unit: Revenue/kWh
Achievements
(1) Solar Panels Construction
We commit to investing in green energy conservation by installing solar panels on the roof of the Rock Park in the Pingtung Biotechnology Park, installing a total of 1362.24kWp of solar panels, generating 1,037,049Kwh of electricity in 2021.
(2) Energy Management
TCI's Pingtung Rock Park fully implemented the ISO 50001 energy management system and installed a solar power system on all roofs. The S11 Eco Facial Mask Factory and S12 ASRS warehouse obtained the U.S. LEED green building certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), fully committed to reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021, the PABP factory conducted various power-saving projects such as air conditioning fan setting scheduling control, steam cascade between factories, and APP-controlled process equipment shutdown confirmation, which resulted in an annual power saving of 170,930 kWh.
(3)Afforestation Adoption/zero deforestation
Recognizing the importance of biodiversity conservation and zero deforestation, we are committed to developing and implementing Group-level best practices for biodiversity conservation and zero deforestation in conjunction with our operations and key value chains.
The Company pledges not to conduct operations, sales, or other business activities at or near sites of national biodiversity importance to fulfill our commitment to biodiversity and zero deforestation. In addition, require upstream and downstream key value chain/supplier partners associated with the operations of the TCI Group to endorse and jointly comply.
This declaration covers the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy; SDG 9 Industry Innovation and Infrastructure; SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production; SDG 15 Life on Land; and SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals.
In May 2017, TCI signed an agreement with the Forestry Bureau of the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, Taiwan, to adopt 17.25 hectares of land for afforestation. The afforestation work was launched in July, 2017 and has reduced CO2 emissions by 225,720 kg so far.
(4) Obtained the Organizational Greenhouse Gas Verification Statement
TCI's Pingtung Rock Park obtained the SGS Verification Statement per the 14064-1 inspection criteria. The CO2 equivalent in 2020 is 15,123.214 metric tons of CO2 equivalent.
(5) Obtained the Validation Opinion Statement of Carbon Neutrality Declaration
We used the carbon dioxide emission equivalent emission generated by Pingtung Rock Park in 2019 through Voluntary Emission Reductions (VERs) and obtained the SGS Validation Opinion Statement per the PAS 2060 greenhouse gas reduction certification and carbon neutrality standard.
Green Product
Agricultural by-product circular economy
TCI explores nature's efficacy ingredients and compounds through a bio-resource data mining platform, "turning agricultural waste to gold" through efficacy verification so that agricultural waste can be used for health benefits and achieve a circular economy. For example, banana flower extract is used as a health care raw material for men. The banana peel extract is used as a sleep aid raw material. Peanut skin achieves blood sugar-blocking effects and others. The demand for health care effects makes it possible to generate economic value from unused agricultural waste and long-term recycling. In addition, TCI plans a series of sustainable products for brand customers, from raw materials and supplier selection, to environmentally friendly packaging materials, to the production process ......, and other optimizations. In 2021, TCI assisted our Chinese customers in obtaining PAS 2060 product carbon-neutral certification, which the third-party CQC China Quality Center verified.
"Turning Agricultural Waste to Gold" to create diversified value by practicing circular economy
In 2015, TCI launched the "Turning Agriculture Waste to Gold" Circular Economy Project (the "Project"), which integrates big data, artificial intelligence, and automated laboratories through their proprietary "bio-resource data mining platform." Thus, speeding up the development of effective ingredients and reducing the time required for the original 17,000 experiments by 70 times. Following the upcycle concept, the project includes raw material development, efficacy analysis, local agricultural products/raw materials procurement, product formula design, standardized manufacturing process, product packaging, and marketing business. TCI transforms agricultural wastes initially classified as "plant-based waste" into health product raw materials and gives them high economic value. The number of patents obtained ranked first in the pharmaceuticals field in Taiwan in 2020 and received recognition from several international invention awards. Since the project launch, nearly 20 items of agricultural waste have been commercialized and applied to 32 healthcare products sold to 63 countries worldwide; the shipment volume estimates to be about 120 million pieces in 2021, creating a commodity value of over NT$15 billion for brand customers. The “Turning Agricultural Waste to Gold” project focuses on the following objectives:
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Mitigating food loss：Taiwan produces 4-5 million tons of agricultural waste each year, and the disposal process produces methane with high greenhouse gas potential, but most farmers cannot afford to dispose of this waste, and about 30% of the food ends up in landfills and 50% in compost.
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Reducing greenhouse gas emissions：By using natural ingredients to produce health foods and functional beverages, TCI believes it has a responsibility to change the linear economic model, mitigate carbon emissions from food loss, and further create sustainable financial and non-financial value for local farmers, international customers, and global consumers, joining and delighting the lives of consumers.
Fair trade and friendly farming
As a sourcing company for healthcare raw materials, TCI commits to controlling the sustainability of raw material production. The coffee beans and West Indian cherries that the Company purchases are traded fairly, and promise small farmers a guaranteed purchase price to maintain their livelihood and sustainable operation, preventing them from being exploited by traders or having their livelihood affected by drastic price fluctuations. Fair-trade crops are often produced using nature-friendly farming practices that respect nature. Adopting friendly farming practices is a good way to treat the land and sustain the environment, but it also comes at a higher cost. This is the biggest obstacle for many farmers when they abandon their farming practices. TCI provides technology and resources for farmers' transformation, helps introduce friendly farming and regenerative farming, and provides guaranteed purchase prices to establish long-term partnerships with farmers to jointly practice environmental and social sustainability.
Exceeding standards, commitment to not using harmful substances
TCI refers to the latest international trends, national regulations, and customer requirements and controls all products to meet or exceed the EU REACH standards. The raw materials used in our products commit to not using any of the EU REACH SVHC Substances of Very High Concern (224 items total). Through sustainable supply chain management, the Company provides customers with green products using environmentally friendly, high-safety, and low environmental impact raw materials.
Biodiversity Park
In 2021, TCI and the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology cooperated to complete the first biodiversity park in Taiwan, which includes plant rehabilitation, habitat creation, cultivation and production of functional crops, and low-carbon farming trials. In the future, it is expected that the methodology and experience gained from the Park will be applied to all the farmers who work with TCI to create a 1,000-hectare "Sunrises Farm" in Taiwan.
The Park plans to restore a variety of Taiwan's native plants, such as Protea, white Hibiscus sabdariffa, Chiapao melon, daylily flower, and white wax apple, through environmentally friendly farming methods and planting. For example, the Park cooperates with the Department of Forestry of the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology and the Graduate Institute of Bioresources to conduct regular surveys on soil carbon sinks and species changes in the Park and research how to increase soil carbon sequestration capacity and field biodiversity, to create "ecological prosperity" and protect the biodiversity of the land.
Through plant restoration, not only can we protect more plant species, but we can also find out the health and economic value of native plants through TCI’s “Bio-Resource Data Mining Platform” and create industrial wealth through plant restoration. At the same time, TCI and the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology conducted the “Rehabilitation Internship” program, leading students to practice the cultivation and production of functional biomedical crops in the Biodiversity Campus to realize “future prosperity.”
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Ecological Prosperity：restore Taiwan's native or rare plants, seed rescue, create and enhance biodiversity, and experiment with low-carbon farming methods to improve soil carbon sequestration benefits.
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Industrial Prosperity： Introduce environmentally friendly farming methods to create economic benefits for farmers. Develop and manufacture natural health care products and skin care products to benefit customers economically.
- Future prosperity：Cultivate prospective skilled personnel and realize a future of social prosperity.
The "Biodiversity Park" launched in 2021 and will continue to invest more than NT$2 million each year to expand the park, considering various plants' environmental conditions and actual situations.
Certification and Award Recognition
