Lotte Chem Develops Packaging Bags Using Recycled Plastic Waste Materials... "Annual Recycling of 300 Tons"

Recycled polyethylene (PCR-PE) material packaging bag developed by Lotte Chemical. Photo by Lotte Chemical

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Lotte Chemical announced on the 9th that it has independently developed packaging bags made from recycled polyethylene (PCR-PE).

PCR-PE is a material made by recycling used and discarded plastic waste, produced from polyethylene (PE) packaging bags collected from customers by Lotte Chemical. It is made from recycled plastic raw materials that can be reused after collection, containing about 30% PCR-PE when used in packaging bag manufacturing. The company stated that this is the first time in Korea that PCR-PE products have been developed for packaging bag purposes and directly applied to products.

Existing PE bags are widely used as packaging materials for synthetic resin products but are mostly recycled into low-quality raw materials or discarded as general waste after disposal. In response, the company has been conducting research and development since this year to apply recycled plastic packaging bags. With the cooperation of customers, the company explained that it has established a plastic circular system that collects used packaging bags and produces raw materials for PCR-PE bags.

The packaging bags developed in this way have been used for packaging some products since last month. The company reported that the physical properties are similar to those of general PE bags. PCR-PE packaging bags are being pilot-applied when shipping about 3,000 tons of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) products produced at the company’s Yeosu plant. They plan to expand the application to about 15,000 tons per month of PE, polypropylene (PP), and other materials by the end of the year. The proportion of recycled plastics will also gradually increase.

The company had previously developed and supplied recycled polypropylene (PCR-PP) materials that can be used for cosmetic and food containers in September last year. Hwang Jin-gu, head of Lotte Chemical’s Basic Materials Business, said, "With the introduction of PCR-PE packaging bags, we expect to recycle more than 300 tons of plastic annually," adding, "We will take the lead in establishing a plastic circular system that covers the entire process from production and sales to recycling."

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