Taiwan Printed Circuit Association (TPCA) and TPCA Environment Foundation (TPCF) held on June 28 the “PCB Circular Economy Roadmap” press conference to announce the “Circular Economy Roadmap of Taiwan PCB Industry”
In view of global resource depletion as a result of technology development, apart from smart manufacturing and environmental protection, resource recycling has become a desperate, material issue. TPCA thus announced the “Circular Economy Roadmap of Taiwan PCB Industry” ahead of the world. 
    According to chairman Maurice Lee of TPCA, as the circular economy has become one of the national development strategies across the globe, TPCA has commissioned the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) to inventory the resource recycling condition of Taiwan’s printed circuit board (PCB) industry to pinpoint the current conditions and difficulties of PCB resource recycling, in order to conclude the future path of the circular economy and work for the sustainable development and safety of Taiwan’s PCB industry in terms of technology, regulation, and commerce.
   The recycling categories and flow in relation to feedstocks, waste and production equipment are the focus of inventory under the “Circular Economy Roadmap of Taiwan PCB Industry.” The inventory showed that in the PCB process with 22 procedures, there are 48 types of waste, including 52% (25 items) of solid waste, 46% (22 items) of liquid waste, and 2% (one item) of gas waste. Amongst the 39 items (81%) that can be recycled for re-use, only 10 items (20.8%) are recycled and reused within the industry. These figures suggest that many items are recycled for re-use outside of the PCB industry, and there are many difficulties to overcome before the circular economy can be realized within the industry.
    In terms of technology, regulation and commerce, the “Circular Economy Roadmap of Taiwan PCB Industry” proposes three main issues: 1)raise the proportion of wastewater and waste liquid recycling, 2)increase solid waste recycling, and 3)maximize the benefits of the circulatory economy. 
In addition, the roadmap achieves the circular economy in three phases from 1.0 to 3.0. Circular Economy 3.0 in the PCB industry requires cross-sector cooperation of the industry, the academe, the government, and the research; regulatory amendments; certification, market and export of resource products, in order to resolve global resource depletion, sustain and co-exist with the environment and to leave a beautiful environment for the next generation.