Kolon E&C Pioneers Building Material Market Using Recycled Old Clothes

Kolon E&C and Sejin Plus are taking a commemorative photo after signing a business partnership agreement on the use of upcycled eco-friendly fiber panels. (From left) Jangbae Park, Executive Director of Sejin Plus; Junyoung Park, CEO; Changwoon Yoon, CEO of Kolon Global; Hyuncheol Jo, CEO of Kolon E&C; Changhee Kang, Managing Director. (Photo by Kolon Global)

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Tae-min] Kolon E&C, a modular construction subsidiary of Kolon Global, is embarking on the development of upcycled building materials using textile waste and pioneering related markets.

On the 12th, Kolon E&C announced that it signed a business agreement with social enterprise Sejin Plus to utilize textile panels made from processed textile waste such as discarded clothing and fabric as building materials and to open new markets for these textile panels.

Textile panels are high-density panels made by processing textile waste into nonwoven fabric form and bonding them through heat adhesion without adding adhesives or chemicals. Compared to conventional processed wood, they offer superior strength, durability, flame resistance, and sound absorption, making them versatile for use as interior materials for walls, floors, and ceilings, as well as exterior materials for roofs and outer walls, and built-in furniture such as closets. They are expected to be an alternative solution to environmental pollution caused by incineration and landfill of surplus or used clothing.

A Kolon E&C official stated, "Modular construction, which allows recycling of building materials, is recognized as an eco-friendly construction method that can reduce environmental pollution. Furthermore, we will actively utilize upcycled building materials like textile panels and develop new technologies to contribute to solving environmental issues."

Meanwhile, Kolon E&C was established as a subsidiary of Kolon Global in July last year and has emerged as a leader in specialized construction by building negative pressure wards for COVID-19 patients based on modular construction technology and OSC technology. It is expanding its modular construction domain to include townhouses, F&B buildings, and commercial complexes. Sejin Plus, founded in 2010, is a social enterprise producing clothing and upcycled building materials.

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