CJ Logistics Establishes 'Circular Logistics System' Through Delivery Network... Donates Profits

Participation in the Ministry of Environment-led 'Save the Planet Alliance'

CJ Logistics announced on the 1st that it participated in the donation ceremony held at the CJ Human Resources Development Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, as part of the Ministry of Environment’s resource circulation project, the ‘Save the Planet Alliance’ campaign. The donated funds will be used for literary creation support projects aimed at improving and raising environmental awareness among children and adolescents nationwide.

Attendees at the donation ceremony include Kim Hee-jun, ESG Officer at CJ Logistics (from left), Lee Min, Director of Seobutien Di, Kim Pil-dong, Manager at Parnas Hotel, Jung Jae-woong, Head of Korea Environment Corporation, Jung Byung-hyuk, Executive Director at SIFC Hotel Development, Shin Jin-soo, Director of Water Management Policy at the Ministry of Environment, Min Hee-kyung, Head of Social Contribution Promotion at CJ CheilJedang, Kim Sang-hoon, Chairman of Korea Circular Resource Distribution Support Center, Ji Chang-woo, Executive Director at Aromatica, Kim Young-wook, General Manager at Korea Packaging Recycling Business Cooperative, Lee Soo-yeon, Executive Director at Chosun Hotel & Resort, and Lee Jong-sun, Director of White Tigers Foundation. Photo by CJ Logistics

Since December last year, CJ Logistics has been involved in the production of such products through the plastic resource circulation project led by the Ministry of Environment for six months. CJ Logistics collected approximately 190,000 transparent PET bottles used at eight hotels, including The Westin Chosun Seoul, Conrad Seoul, and Haesley Nine Bridges. The collected waste PET bottles were made into cosmetic containers for Aromatica, a sustainable beauty & life brand, and sold.

Although South Korea produces a large amount of high-quality transparent PET bottles, such as those for bottled water, recycling has been difficult because they were mixed with other plastics. However, through a project that establishes a resource circulation system using parcel delivery services, the separation and collection of waste PET bottles have become easier, enabling the introduction of recycled products. Previously, under the Waste Management Act, waste collection and transportation companies could only transport waste PET bottles using authorized vehicles. The Ministry of Environment allowed exceptions to these regulations through the Active Administration Committee.

The government’s reason for collaborating with CJ Logistics on ‘circular logistics’ lies in its nationwide logistics network. As the industry leader, CJ Logistics operates 14 hub terminals and over 280 sub-terminals nationwide. According to the Korea Integrated Logistics Association, the total parcel volume last year was 4.123 billion. This means that 28 million economically active people used parcel delivery services roughly every two days, and as online consumption becomes widespread, the frequency of parcel use is rapidly increasing every year. Utilizing parcel delivery vehicles that deliver daily to various parts of everyday life can simultaneously solve delivery and collection.

Because parcel delivery vehicles repeatedly deliver to designated areas daily, hotels can dispose of waste PET bottles, which were previously discarded monthly or weekly, more frequently, improving space efficiency. Previously, waste was accumulated in warehouses and then handled all at once by waste disposal companies once a certain amount was reached. This required securing separate space and caused issues with waste PET bottles mixing with other waste during collection and transportation stages.

Through this collaboration, CJ Logistics plans to take the lead in establishing a circular logistics system that connects waste collection to donation. It is also expected to present a new approach to corporate environmental responsibility and sustainable management.

Kim Hee-jun, head of ESG at CJ Logistics, said, “Parcel delivery vehicles are the most detailed and efficient platform used by the entire nation offline,” adding, “We will leverage the characteristics of a comprehensive logistics company to build a circular logistics system across all areas, including waste collection, transportation, and recycling.”

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