2. How did your company come up with the idea of ​transforming marine waste into backpack materials? During the research and development process, did you encounter any difficulties? If so, how did you solve this difficulty?

We began by recyclin​g PET bottles, aiming to promote environmental awareness. Many industries avoid recycling due to its lack of popularity. Despite the initial investment, we believe it's crucial to highlight the importance of environmental protection. Handling PET bottles retrieved from the ocean presents challenges due to their softness and complexity. We've experimented with 20 tons of material to find effective methods. Procuring marine waste is particularly challenging and costly; the initial purchase alone can amount to several million dollars before we can sell the recycled products.  At the start, Taiwan was already doing well in protecting the environment, focusing on issues like PET bottles and marine pollution. Then, our boss saw a photo of a sea turtle with a plastic straw stuck in its nose. This made us think about what our brand could do to help. Since we were already recycling, we decided to figure out how to collect marine waste and use it in our products. By working with manufacturers, we managed to make a positive impact on our environment.  In the following years, around 2016-2017, there were growing concerns about marine issues, such as the melting of ice floes in the Arctic. When I saw the image of the turtle with the straw stuck in its nose, it hit me how serious this problem was. It was then that I realized we needed to delve deeper into this issue. That's when we decided to start creating products from marine waste. However, collecting the waste material proved to be quite challenging. Did you know about this?  Collecting marine waste is more challenging than collecting PET bottles on land because it is very easy to recycle PET bottles, but marine waste n eeds to be collected at beaches or retrieved from the sea then we can start cassification. The largest environmental recycling companies in Taiwan are Nan Ya(南亞) and Far Eastern(遠東), but their revenue from marine waste constitutes only about 10% of their total earnings. So, fewer people are promoting this issue. However, there should be a brand to create and promote this issue and let people know about the marine problem. So Deya star making bags made from ocean waste. When we started finding marine waste we spent lots of money, and at that time we made a Carbon-reducing backpack (Zero-carbon backpack)We started by purchasing raw materials. Specifically, we bought 7 to 10 tons of marine waste materials and then processed them to the desired specifications. So the general public can’t do this by themself, because they are not willing to invest in something new without certainty about the future. But when Deya uses marine waste to make products, the ocean will become better and better. Because most people will start knowing the importance of marine conservation.  There are many difficulties. Collecting marine waste is really tough. The first time we bought materials, we spent millions before selling them out. The big problem is there isn't much investment in this area, so it's hard to find enough stock. Also, after recycling, each product can turn out differently because the material from the sea is different from what's on land. Sea PET bottles weaken in strength and hardness due to exposure to seawater. Handling ocean waste is more complex than land-based recycling. The physical properties of the product are complicated, so we've faced many challenges and lost a lot of money during recycling.

5.What are the long-term development plans for your company? Are there any new market attack plans or expansion plans?

The intention is sustainability. I hope that every backpack made can go back home, back to our company Deya. The resources used by humans are all "borrowed" from the Earth, and we should all strive to return what we borrow. Backpacks that can be recycled can be given to poverty children. If they are no longer usable, they can be broken down and remanufactured into new bags. Using backpacks to pass on to everyone enables sustainable use of backpacks. By purchasing second-hand backpacks at the lowest cost possible, we can also spread love to everyone.

6. If you were given another chance to go back more than 30 years ago, would you still choose to enter this industry?

Each stage has its mission. Over 30 years ago, there were no initiatives for eco-friendly products, lacking supportive measures and adequate technology. While Europe and the United States had started, Taiwan was unaware. Now, the urgency arises from global warming, and with technological advancements, there's a better chance to make a positive impact and assist brands in their creations.

7.Which private enterprises have you cooperated with?

Nanya Plastics is the third-largest PET bottle recycler globally, with marine waste recycling accounting for ten percent. They are developing an ecological chain using marine waste, creating not only bags but also clothing, hats, and their latest project – plastic lunch boxes. This endeavor expands plastic product development into lunch boxes and various other applications. They aim to establish a marine waste ecological chain to showcase that using marine waste can produce a variety of eco-friendly products. Therefore, it's crucial for everyone to cherish and protect our oceans.

8. When we were shopping downstairs just now, there was a series of antibacterial backpacks. Do those use secondary recycled materials?

Some are available, some are not. The materials from marine waste are limited, they cannot be popularized for all raw materials. The materials from marine waste are available only when the brand sets specifications, but there is no existing inventory. Therefore, when creating packaging from marine waste, specifications need to be set based on various aspects of the raw materials. Indeed, starting from the raw materials is crucial. Then I won’t hide it from everyone, the quantification might be similar to ordering a book; hence, a brand needs to invest in processing the materials. Otherwise, readily available materials might be scarce.

9. Which companies are willing to cooperate in this industry or whether the government will assist you?

We are more self-sufficient and rely less on government assistance. There may be guidance programs offered by the government, however there are always expenses involved. One advantage, though, is that the government may alter its perspective by working with business brands. For instance, I have been pleading with the government to give Taiwanese-made goods purchase priority for the last five years. Taiwanese manufacturing will support the local economy. I've also mentioned that the government ought to focus its funding only on green goods. Taiwan's most valuable resource is subject to government manipulation, given its significant purchasing power. A budget for the year might be in the millions or billions of dollars. As a result, it's critical for businesses to take the lead internationally and make sure the government supports their initiatives by changing its perspective. Our interactions with the government have centered on improving the functioning of the entire system, with a particular emphasis on innovation and sustainability principles. It has taken years for other countries to come up, even if some have accepted similar concepts.

10. Is there anything in marine debris that could add value to a backpack?

There are not much of companies that want to invest and commit to the recycling program because it needs to cost amount of money. We invented this brand to face the challenge and make a better future for the marine. One carbon emission bag could decrease 0.8kg of carbon emission. In one year, a tree can release 12kg of carbon emission. If we make 500 thousand people use carbon emission bags, it will release the carbon emissions of an entire park of trees. Deya’s bags are expected approximately use marine debris to make bags and help the marine. This is how we use marine debris to add up the value of  Deya’s bags. Starting from when you are young, we can help the Earth. The bags and clothes you buy should be eco-friendly to the environment. If this concept becomes better,  the entire earth will be saved.

11.So what specific impact do your bags have on Taiwan’s carbon emissions?

Just now we mentioned that if we use new materials for one bag, compared to using materials from plastic bottles, one ags can reduce carbom emissions by 0.8 kilograms. Then, if converted into the absorption capacity of a tree, the annual carbon absorption of one tree in a year. From what I remember, about fifteen hundred bags should equal the carbon absorption of a hundred trees, so this situation canstilll be quantified. Therefore, when you use more recycled materials, you can reduce carbon emissions.