What is the 'LAR' Product That Kim Gyo-hyun, CEO of Lotte Chemical, Gifted to Other CEOs?

'Project Loop' Campaign... Sneakers and Bags Made from Recycled Waste Plastic Draw Attention
Chairman Shin Dong-bin Also Wears LAR Sneakers in Photo Reveal

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] "Have you heard of the LAR products?"

Lotte Chemical gifted products to the CEOs attending the Korea Business Council for Sustainable Development (KBCSD) forum held on the 29th, which has become a hot topic. These were products from the eco-friendly design brand 'LAR'. Kim Gyo-hyun, Head of the Chemical BU (President) at Lotte Chemical, mentioned 'LAR' to reporters during the forum break, taking the opportunity for some niche promotion.

There is a reason why President Kim personally promotes LAR. LAR is a brand participating in Lotte Chemical's 'Project Loop' campaign, a manufacturer that transforms waste plastic into design products. Project Loop is a campaign that Lotte Chemical officially launched earlier this year to address the waste plastic problem. Its goal is to establish a plastic circular economy based on the value chain from plastic separation, collection, raw material production, processing, to consumers.

The beginning of Project Loop dates back to last year. In March of last year, Lotte Chemical signed agreements with Impact Square, Superbin, Kumho Petrochemical, Korea Textile Development Institute, LAR, Beyond, and Revelop to develop eco-friendly products. The participating companies, including Lotte Chemical, collected about 10 tons of discarded PET bottles from Lotte World Mall and Lotte World, processed them into raw materials, and produced yarn and fabric. LAR transformed these into eco-friendly sneakers, bags, and other design products. It took a full year to create these eco-friendly products.

For the sneakers, regenerated materials are used, and leftover scraps of cowhide leather that would otherwise be discarded are recycled. The shoelaces are made from 100% recycled waste PET bottles, and the outsoles are made from renewable natural rubber. Compared to neoprene material products, this reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 80%. Additionally, both the sneaker boxes and tape are made from eco-friendly materials.

The products are rapidly gaining recognition through word of mouth among the young MZ generation who insist on consuming eco-friendly products. Photos of Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin wearing LAR sneakers were released, and it is known that internally, the products receive favorable reviews, with Kim Gyo-hyun, President of Lotte Chemical, even wearing LAR products during lunch walks.

Initially focused on bags and sneakers, the eco-friendly product line is expanding to pouches, card wallets, and more. In June, Beyond and Revelop introduced clothing and pouch products. The pouches, in particular, attracted attention by featuring artwork by artist Kim Jung-gi. Lotte Chemical plans to increase sales of recycled products to 1 million tons by 2030.

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