"Chemical Recycling Enables Cosmetic Containers" SK Chemicals Achieves World's First Mass Production

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Cosmetic containers made from ECOTRIA CR developed by SK Chemicals using chemical recycling technology

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] SK Chemicals announced on the 2nd that it has begun mass production of materials applying chemical recycling technology. The company stated that this is the world's first case of establishing a mass production and supply system by applying chemical recycling technology to materials used for making cosmetic containers.

The product introduced by SK Chemicals this time is EcoTriaCR. Previously, the company showcased EcoTriaR, which applied physical recycling technology, at a German exhibition in 2019, and has advanced the technology one step further in two years. Although plastics have relatively less environmental impact such as carbon emissions during production compared to iron or paper, they have the disadvantage of lower recycling rates. Since physical recycling has certain limitations, chemical recycling technology is being refined.

The company explained, "Chemical recycling technology is evaluated as a core technology to establish a plastic circular economy, but no company worldwide has built a mass production system based on this technology," adding, "For commercialization, a stable supply chain of waste plastics must be secured, and high technical capability is required to separate and refine desired chemicals through decomposition processes."

Earlier, the company focused on developing solutions using chemical recycling technology for three years. Judging that securing raw materials is crucial, it invested in shares of Shuye, a Chinese waste plastic recycling company, to secure a stable raw material supply chain. Through this, it secured 20,000 tons and established a mass production system.

SK Chemicals employees are taking a photo to celebrate the successful mass production of chemical recycle copolyester at the Ulsan plant.

By adding the new product this time, the company has fully established an eco-friendly packaging product lineup including EcoTriaR, which uses recycled PET raw materials (PCR), and Claro, which can be recycled into PET after consumer use. The company named this the Sustainable Packaging Solution (SPS).

A company official said, "Reducing and recycling plastic waste is an urgent task for all countries, including Europe," and added, "Global cosmetics companies such as L'Or?al, Est?e Lauder, and Chanel are actively engaging in plastic recycling and using eco-friendly packaging."

SK Chemicals plans to produce more than 10,000 tons of chemical recycling products this year and next, supplying them to major domestic and overseas cosmetics companies. In September, it conducted product promotion activities in China and Europe. In China, it held a sustainable packaging seminar attended by major cosmetics companies like Johnson & Johnson and packaging and raw material company representatives, and at the European cosmetics exhibition Luxe Pack Monaco, it promoted SPS. The company set a goal to increase the sales ratio of SPS materials to 50% by 2025 and 100% by 2030. The company expects that, with the same physical properties and higher safety as existing new products, the materials will be used not only for cosmetic containers but also for food packaging, home appliances, and daily necessities.

Kim Eung-su, head of the Copolyester Business Division at SK Chemicals, said, "Domestic companies can take the lead in the rapidly growing recycled plastics market," and added, "We will continuously improve the quality of mass-produced products and develop applications to widen the gap with other companies."

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