Dec. 15, 2025 –
New facility demonstrates UMC’s commitment to circular material use to advance sustainability
HSINCHU, Taiwan — United Microelectronics Corporation (NYSE: UMC; TWSE: 2303) (“UMC”) today officially unveiled its Circular Economy & Recycling Innovation Center, an on-site waste recycling facility located within the company’s Fab 12A in the Southern Taiwan Science Park. The NT$1.8 billion (US$57.5 million) center serves as a base for collaboration with recycling vendor partners to transform semiconductor manufacturing waste into valuable products. It is expected to divert 15,000 metric tons of waste per year, reducing UMC’s total waste in Taiwan by up to one-third and generating approximately NT$100 million in economic value.
Today’s opening ceremony was attended by officials from Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council, the Resource Circulation Administration of the Ministry of Environment, the Southern Taiwan Science Park Bureau, and the Tainan City government.
SC Chien, UMC’s Co-President and Chief Sustainability Officer, said: “As the first facility of its kind in the Southern Taiwan Science Park, this center represents a key milestone in our industry’s sustainability journey. By opting to build our own on-site recycling facility, UMC aims to increase resource reuse within our fabs and the conversion of waste into valuable products, enhancing the overall sustainability of our operations. It also demonstrates our commitment to advancing circular economy practices in our industry and contributing to global climate action.”
At the Circular Economy & Recycling Innovation Center, UMC’s partners process waste directly on-site. Waste isopropanol and edge bead remover from wafer cleaning are treated into industrial-grade products, with the goal of producing electronic-grade recycled solvents that can return to the chipmaking process. Mixed waste solvents that cannot be distilled are converted into fuel gas for the facility’s operations through thermal cracking. Calcium fluoride sludge, another byproduct, is processed into artificial fluorite for use as a flux in steelmaking, replacing virgin materials and reducing environmental impact.
As a core pillar of its sustainability strategy, UMC strives for zero waste by enhancing resource reuse and resource recovery within its fabs, reducing outsourced waste treatment. Other initiatives that have been executed over the years include: reclamation of sulfuric acid to be used as an agent in wastewater treatment or air purification systems; recycling waste photomasks into quartz substrates; and converting waste copper sulfate into high-purity copper through electrolysis.
The Circular Economy & Recycling Innovation Center covers 5,900 square meters of building area and 9,000 square meters of total floor space, and adheres to green building standards. It is equipped with solar panels on its rooftop, with plans to introduce hydrogen fuel cells to further increase renewable energy use. In addition to the recycling operations, the center also features an educational multi-purpose showroom, with a focus on sustainability and circular economy. The showroom’s design received the Gold Award in the 2025 MUSE Design Awards and the 2025 London Design Awards.
About UMC
UMC (NYSE: UMC, TWSE: 2303) is a leading global semiconductor foundry company. The company provides high-quality IC fabrication services, focusing on logic and various specialty technologies to serve all major sectors of the electronics industry. UMC’s comprehensive IC processing technologies and manufacturing solutions include Logic/Mixed-Signal, embedded High-Voltage, embedded Non-Volatile-Memory, RFSOI, BCD etc. Most of UMC's 12-in and 8-in fabs with its core R&D are located in Taiwan, with additional ones throughout Asia. UMC has a total of 12 fabs in production with combined capacity of more than 400,000 wafers per month (12-in equivalent), and all of them are certified with IATF 16949 automotive quality standard. UMC is headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan, plus local offices in United States, Europe, China, Japan, Korea & Singapore, with a worldwide total of 20,000 employees. For more information, please visit: http://www.umc.com.