Editor's Note
This editor’s note highlights the key facts and market implications behind “Waste Disposal Costs Surge 5-Fold, Shrinking Bui”, with emphasis on sourcing, product fit, fabrication, logistics, or buyer impact.
The Ceramics Industry Association stated that the cost of construction waste disposal has surged five-fold recently, and there is nowhere to dispose of it. Taking Kaohsiung City as an example, the unit price of legally disposed construction waste has skyrocketed from NT$600 to NT$800 per ton to NT$3,000 to NT$4,000 per ton within one year (2025–2026). For an 8-ton truck, the cost has jumped from about NT$8,000 per truck to about NT$24,000 per truck, an average increase of five times. The association pointed out that due to the nationwide surge in construction waste disposal costs and the lack of available disposal sites even when operators are willing to pay high fees, three major impacts have emerged. First, the government's intensified enforcement actions have significantly increased the risk cost of illegal dumping, forcing waste haulers to exit non-compliant business models and turn to legal channels. However, this has simultaneously driven up waste disposal costs, which operators pass on to construction companies, building material dealers, and end consumers, further fueling market price hikes.
Second, with higher classification standards, the difficulty of handling waste in the renovation market has increased substantially. Many projects now require separate handling of demolition and disposal, doubling labor and time costs in the industry. For example, in residential renovations, the disposal cost per household for a full renovation used to be around NT$300,000 to NT$400,000; now it has climbed to NT$700,000 to NT$900,000, a staggering increase. Third, the five-fold increase in waste disposal costs, coupled with the lack of disposal options, has led consumers to choose not to renovate, causing a rapid contraction of the building materials market. This has resulted in renovation workers stopping work and small contractors closing down—a classic case of market freeze due to soaring disposal costs and insufficient disposal capacity.
The Ceramics Industry Association believes that the government's use of GPS tracking for construction waste, comprehensive strict enforcement, heavier penalties, and the elimination of non-compliant disposal sites have led to a severe shortage of disposal sites, skyrocketing fees, and nowhere to dispose of waste. While the policy direction is correct, the government's supporting measures are insufficient. In response, the association has two major recommendations for the competent authorities—the National Land Management Agency and the Resource Recycling Agency of the Ministry of Environment. First, urgently set up temporary waste collection sites through public operation, commissioned private operation, or public-private partnerships to provide immediate relief.
Second, a modern country must have complete systems for handling garbage and construction waste, and long-term planning is essential.
Source: Read the original article | Published: May 10, 2026