Lotte Chemical Expands Public-Private Partnership to Establish Plastic Waste Collection Cluster in Busan

Opening Ceremony of 'Our Neighborhood ESG Center Branch 2' in Dong-gu, Busan on the 15th

The opening ceremony of the Our Neighborhood ESG Center Branch 2 was held with the attendance of Kim Gyo-hyun, Vice Chairman of Lotte Chemical (third from the left), Park Hyung-joon, Mayor of Busan (fourth from the right), and Kim Jin-hong, Mayor of Dong-gu, Busan (fourth from the left).

Lotte Chemical is working with Busan City and public institutions to promote ESG management practices and expand resource circulation in the local community.

On the afternoon of the 15th, Lotte Chemical announced that the opening ceremony of the second branch of the ‘Our Neighborhood ESG Center’ was held in Dong-gu, Busan, attended by Kim Gyo-hyun, Vice Chairman of Lotte Chemical, Park Hyung-joon, Mayor of Busan, Kim Jin-hong, Dong-gu District Mayor of Busan, and Kim Mi-gon, President of the Korea Senior Human Resources Development Institute. At the opening ceremony, attendees celebrated the opening of the second ESG Center and agreed to expand cooperation to establish a plastic waste collection cluster in the Busan area.

The Our Neighborhood ESG Center is a resource circulation center that collects plastic waste from the local area and recycles it to return it to local residents. The first branch opened in November last year in Geumjeong-gu, Busan. Senior workers collect and sort plastic waste separated by local residents, then wash and recycle it.

Since March this year, the first branch has collected about 12 tons of waste PET bottles and has provided jobs to a total of 390 local seniors during this process. Based on these achievements, there are plans to expand the ESG Centers to all 16 districts across Busan.

Specifically, Lotte Chemical will support the purchase of equipment for collecting, sorting, and raw material processing of plastic waste, as well as the production of upcycled products. It will also provide guidance on the virtuous cycle process for commercialization and support technology and infrastructure.

Additionally, ▲ Busan City will provide project promotion and administrative support ▲ Dong-gu, Busan will provide space for eco-friendly senior product manufacturing facilities ▲ Korea Senior Human Resources Development Institute will oversee the ESG Center construction ▲ Korea Housing Finance Corporation will support project funding ▲ Housing and Urban Guarantee Corporation will expand the installation of upcycled safety bars ▲ Korea Southern Power will expand the installation of upcycled electricity and lighting fixtures.

Kim Gyo-hyun, Vice Chairman of Lotte Chemical, stated, "Through the establishment of a plastic waste collection cluster, we plan to expand it as a supply source for recycled raw materials in the future, strengthen the resource circulation ecosystem, and enhance ESG management. Lotte Chemical will also continue social contribution activities for mutual growth with the local community, such as creating jobs for seniors."

Meanwhile, Lotte Chemical will hold ‘LOOP FESTA,’ a month-long event from August 30 to September 28, sharing the three-year achievements of ‘Project LOOP,’ a campaign to improve plastic waste collection culture and establish a plastic circular economy system through recycling. Project LOOP participated in the Waste and Resource Circulation Exhibition held at KINTEX in Ilsan from August 30 to September 1, engaging with visitors. On September 2 and 3, the event was held at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan to raise awareness of resource circulation among local residents and baseball fans. On September 8 and 9, it also participated in the Seoul Climate Crisis Bazaar. On the 18th of this month, the final performance sharing meeting for the second cohort of Project LOOP social ventures, which discover and support resource circulation social ventures, is scheduled to be held.

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