Waste Management Policy and Source Reduction
NUTN strengthens waste management through source reduction and institutional controls. A chemical exchange platform promotes resource sharing, regular inventories support the recovery of aging gas cylinders, and chemical and cylinder management regulations were established in 2025. The University also reduces biological waste, keeping monthly infectious-waste generation below 20 kilograms at each campus.
YoY Reduction in Hazardous Industrial Waste
31.7%
YoY Reduction in General Industrial Waste
4%
Annual Reduction in Infectious Waste
8%
Waste Collection and Recycling Processes
Waste is collected daily from unit disposal areas and transported to the recycling facility for centralized storage before removal by a qualified contractor.
This category includes laboratory liquid waste, laboratory chemicals, and biomedical waste. After sorting and temporary storage, qualified contractors transport the waste to the recycling facility of National Cheng Kung University's Environmental Resource Research and Management Center for treatment.
Each unit maintains a recycling area. Campus cleaning personnel sort and collect materials, which are transferred to the central recycling facility, removed and processed by qualified contractors, and reported by weight each month.
Food waste is collected from campus dining facilities and the recycling area and removed regularly. In response to African swine fever controls, qualified contractors now transport it to the Yanshui Landfill in Tainan for disposal.
Recycling and Plastic Reduction
NUTN maintains an online information and reporting section on reducing disposable tableware and packaged drinking water. Campus dining facilities offer discounts to customers who bring reusable tableware, and administrative units provide reusable lunch boxes for borrowing. In 2025, recycling-bin signage was renewed across campus, and a washing sink for paper containers was installed at the recycling facility. The University has received multiple awards for the quality of its recycling reporting.
Reusable Lunch Box Uses in 2025
663uses
Bottled Water Use Avoided (via Event Participation)
563instances
Recycling Awards over the Past Three Years
3items
2022 Tainan City Recycling Reporting Award
2023 Tainan City Recycling Reporting Award
2022 Excellence Award in the School Category of the Cherish Resources, Protect the Earth Evaluation
For complete classifications of hazardous and general industrial waste, see Section 5-5 of the 2025 Sustainability Report。