Taiwanderful: Not Just a Recycling Company

“We are not just a recycling company, we see ourselves as educators, artists, scientists, consultants, environmentalists, community organizers, product designers, and more. All of these titles are easy to do as long as we stay inside the parameters of plastic.”

As the world continues to address the issues of global warming, and more documentaries, research, and initiatives emerge to show us how we all need to be more aware of our carbon footprint, diet, and the way we consume and live, we were thrilled to discover Taiwanderful Recycling Co during our recent trip to Taidong, Taiwan. There are many companies combating different environmental issues and efforts, Taiwanderful Recycling Co is a company that puts the fun into understanding, taking action, and creating a solution for our plastic waste here in Taiwan. Started by three friends Josh Campbell, Tyler Kaplan and Andrew Voogel in 2017, these guys decided a way for them to offset their carbon footprint was to educate, inspire, consult, create and make an impact for future generations to come. Taiwanderful has already worked with numerous government organizations, corporations, companies, and artists. Most recently they worked with Taihu Brewery in a campaign to promote Taiwan’s National Beach Clean-up day on May 23, 2021 (but the event was canceled due to Level 3 alert of Covid). Watch this insightful video that Taihu Brewery x Taiwanderful created, here. We spoke with co-founder, Josh Campbell to learn more about his journey to Asia from sunny California and why he is driven to empower more about recycling and turning plastic waste into resourceful objects both domestically and globally. You will be inspired by their efforts as much as we are!

Curito:

Josh, could you introduce yourself to our readers?! 

Josh:

Hello! My name is Josh Campbell and I am from the central coast of California. I grew up in an area called Monterey Bay. 

Curito:

How did you venture out to Taiwan and end up making it your home?

Josh:

I left Monterey Bay around 12 years ago to travel around the world. I spent several years traveling through Southeast Asia teaching English, exploring, surfing and diving. I was supposed to be gone for three years, but then I found the east coast of Taiwan and decided that I wanted to stay. 

Curito:

Before you started Taiwanderful what were you doing?

Josh:

Before I started Taiwanderful with my friends I was doing several things. I was teaching English, making and repairing surfboards. 

Curito:

How has the surfing landscape changed or grown in Taiwan over the last decade? 

Josh:

Surfing has become increasingly more popular in Taiwan over the decade. We are seeing a rise in the next generation of younger surfers. Many of them will be the first generation brought up around a surfing lifestyle. Jinzun in Taidong on the eastern coastline of Taiwan has hosted several world championships and has put a spotlight on Taiwan surfing potential. You can also see a change with many local businesses catering to the traveling surfers as well. 

As a shaper, you are exposed to toxic materials and creating toxic pieces of equipment that have relatively short lifespans. I wanted to find a way to offset that carbon footprint.

Curito:

Could you share what made you wake up one morning and decide to become an advocate for fighting plastic waste in the ocean and starting Taiwanderful with your business partners in 2017? 

Josh:

The idea of starting a company that could combat the plastic problems facing our planet came from years of knowing about the problems and feeling helpless to do anything about them. My childhood friend Andrew Voogel is an accomplished artist and he was also looking to leave a more positive impact on the world. We decided to focus on plastic for several reasons. For one we knew it was inarguably the most detrimental thing facing our ecosystems and as a raw material, it had great potential. The next addition to our team was our mutual friend Tyler Kaplan. Tyler is a successful businessman, originally from Canada, and who is raising two young boys in Hualien. The newest addition to our team is Steve Wu. He is an overall brilliant human being with a huge heart. He is from Taiwan and works in the green energy sector for Taiwan. 

Curito:

You are shifting your focus from surfboard making to Taiwan recycling plastics ambassador, could you share with us a little about your passion for surfing, the ocean, design, and plastic waste? 

Josh:

I started shaping surfboards after surfing most of my life. As a shaper, you are exposed to toxic materials and creating toxic pieces of equipment that have relatively short lifespans. I wanted to find a way to offset that carbon footprint. As a lifelong surfer and diver, the ocean has given me so much in the form of an identity and sustenance. I wanted to transcend surfing and do something more beneficial for the well-being of the Ocean and those who wish to enjoy it as my family and friends do. 

Curito:

How is Taiwanderful different from other recycling NGO or companies out there?

Josh:

Taiwanderful is different in many regards. We may recycle, but we also explain that reducing plastic consumption is more important and coastal restoration should also be incorporated in the solutions as well.  Some companies have a singular approach to their business models whereas Taiwanderful is approaching this from multiple angles in order to include a wider range of participants. We are intentionally casting a wide net and filtering through it.  We are not just a recycling company,  we see ourselves as educators, artists, scientists, consultants, environmentalists, community organizers, product designers, and more. All of these titles are easy to do as long as we stay inside the parameters of plastic. 

I am happy to say we are past the point of bringing awareness to the problems faced by plastic pollution and more concerned with the solutions for it. We could waste time trying to convince others of the easily observable facts, but we are too busy setting up systems to make recycling easy, fun and impactful.

Curito:

What are some of the challenges you face in your business/industry?

Josh:

I can’t really speak on the challenges. As a whole, this venture has been well received by individuals, schools, businesses, and other institutions. It has been a challenge learning and growing this company from an idea to a movement, but those challenges we are happy to face and figure out. 

Curito:

If you could do a 2min elevator pitch to educate more individuals, consumers, and businesses about the importance of reducing our plastic consumption to protect our environment and our future what would you say?

Josh:

It should be common knowledge that petrochemicals are contaminating every facet of our lives. We are eating, drinking, and breathing plastic. It is scary and non-debatable, but we refuse to go down that doom and gloom route with it as well. We know fear can easily have a paralyzing effect on people. Not many people turn, face, and fight their fears. In fact, many people run from them. I am happy to say we are past the point of bringing awareness to the problems faced by plastic pollution and more concerned with the solutions for it. We could waste time trying to convince others of the easily observable facts, but we are too busy setting up systems to make recycling easy, fun, and impactful. 

Curito:

What are some of the basic lifestyle changes individuals and corporations can make to make an impact? 

Josh:

I think it is important for everyone to understand it is not about trying to be a perfect example and doing everything perfectly. That is impossible and very exhausting. The key is to just be better than you were the day before. Do little actions first and don’t be afraid to let those actions be seen by others in the hopes that they can spread. 

Curito:

What are some sites, films, or books you would recommend for people to become more educated and aware of what is happening in this sector.

Josh:

I would not know the best direction to point people. There is so much out there. But personally one of my favorite books is Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jarred Diamond. For films, the recent Netflix documentary Seapiracy was great in understanding the impact of the fishing industry and how to save our oceans. Also, companies like Patagonia have for years been at the forefront of environmental activism and climate change policies, as a retail business they really walk the walk and it is really inspiring.

Curito:

What do you hope Taiwanderful can achieve in this coming decade?

Josh:

Within a decade we should have accomplished most of what we set out to do. We know we will not fix the problems we face. We will have set up a platform that future generations can stand on so that they can better combat the plastic issues. We are giving the next generation a fighting chance by setting up recycling models that can be relied on. 

We know we will not fix the problems we face. We will have set up a platform that future generations can stand on so that they can better combat the plastic issues. We are giving the next generation a fighting chance by setting up recycling models that can be relied on.

Curito:

For those who want to collaborate with Taiwanderful or do more how can they find you guys and what kind of projects are you guys most interested in working on?

Josh:

Anyone can find us on FB, Instagram, YouTube, and our website. We are happy to work with any school or business. What our main focus right now is to work closely with our local government and communities to start diverting large amounts of plastic from our houses and ecosystems. We want to trap and track plastic through our networks and make sure that it never ends up in our waterways.

Curito:

Thank you Josh for sharing your journey and vision for Taiwanderful Recycling Co, we look forward to working with you guys in the near future and to see how you guys continue to collaborate with more organizations, corporations, companies, schools, and artists! Don’t forget to check out Taiwanderful’s “Eco Bricks” project to take part in its effort to reduce plastic waste in our waterways here in Taiwan. For other countries, you can connect with Josh and Taiwanderful to start a program in your community!

First published on May 21, 2021