Jeju Samdasoo, Beyond Label-Free Water, Challenges 'Plastic-Free' Initiative

Jeju Development Corporation Announces 'Green Hall Process' Eco-Friendly Management Vision

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-sun] Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Development Corporation announced on the 15th a vision to strengthen eco-friendly management centered on Jeju Samdasoo.

Jeju Development Corporation declared this year as the inaugural year to establish itself as a leading public enterprise in ESG (Environment, Social Contribution, Governance) and will actively implement the "Green Whole Process" management, the only eco-friendly business model in Korea that covers the entire process from production to collection and upcycling through carbon dioxide reduction.

To this end, Jeju Development Corporation has started building a phased roadmap to reduce plastic by 50% by 2030, beginning with the launch of Jeju Samdasoo label-free bottled water, using recycled PET, and research on bio-PET development. In addition, the corporation plans to continuously reduce carbon dioxide emissions by transitioning to renewable energy mainly in its production facilities.

Jeju Samdasoo will complete the facility setup for the launch of the label-free product "Jeju Samdasoo Green Edition (tentative name)" within the first half of the year and will release 100 million 2L bottles starting in June. The label-free product will be sold through the Jeju Samdasoo home delivery app service, and it is expected to reduce approximately 64 tons of vinyl waste.

Jeju Development Corporation plans to establish a fundamental eco-friendly management plan to reduce plastic, as the launch of label-free bottled water is expected to focus more on raising consumer awareness and convenience in PET bottle separation and disposal rather than making a substantial eco-friendly contribution.

Jeju Development Corporation is challenging "de-plasticization" by aiming to reduce plastic usage by 25% by 2025 compared to 2020, and by 50% by 2030.

Currently, various research projects are underway along with material innovation to reduce the amount of plastic used in Jeju Samdasoo.

From using recycled PET (R-PET) for drinking water to developing bio-PET utilizing Jeju Island's resources, the corporation plans to implement its de-plasticization vision by using containers that can replace plastic from a long-term perspective.

Jeju Development Corporation recently intensified ESG management and succeeded in reducing plastic usage by more than 1,000 tons by lightening Jeju Samdasoo PET bottles.

Along with this, the corporation will aggressively reduce carbon dioxide emissions by increasing the share of renewable energy to 50% at all business sites, including the Jeju Samdasoo production line.

This year, energy-saving measures will be derived based on energy diagnostics centered on production lines, and the introduction of renewable energy will be promoted sequentially. In the mid to long term, the goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% through installing solar panels, replacing 100% of electricity with renewable energy within business sites (RE100), and purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (REC).

Despite increases in sales and sales volume, Jeju Development Corporation achieved a 9% reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions to 30,160 tons in 2019 compared to 2017.

Jeju Development Corporation also plans to present a new model of social value creation and resource circulation by converting by-products from the production process of citrus concentrate into single feed (livestock feed without mixing with other materials) and producing energy required for by-product processing by utilizing biogas generated during the process.

Kim Jeong-hak, President of Jeju Development Corporation, stated, “Jeju Samdasoo will actively implement the advanced ‘Green Whole Process Management,’ which goes beyond the eco-friendly management we have pursued so far as a core value. We will make 2021 the inaugural year of ESG management and continuously strive to respond to climate change and promote resource circulation.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.