SK Chemicals' Seven Plastic Materials Certified for Recyclability in European Recycling Processes

Fully Compatible with PET Bottle Recycling Processes
Recyclability Proven from the Material Design Stage

SK Chemicals announced on May 21 that its plastic materials have obtained verification of recyclability as raw materials in recycling processes within Europe.

According to SK Chemicals, the copolyester "Ecotria Claro" and the synthetic resin (PET) product lineup "SKYPET" have been certified by the European recycling evaluation organization RecyClass for their recyclability in PET recycling processes.

Cosmetic containers and bulk containers made with SK Chemicals Ecotria Claro 300. SK Chemicals

RecyClass is a nonprofit industry consortium established to build a circular plastics economy in Europe. It operates a system that verifies and certifies the recyclability of plastic materials based on recycling evaluation protocols and design guidelines.

SK Chemicals obtained "Technology Approval (TA)" under RecyClass standards, which certifies that these materials can be stably utilized as recycled raw materials in actual recycling processes without affecting existing operations. This assessment serves as a key indicator of compatibility with recycling processes when each material is used as a feedstock for post-consumer recycled plastics. Materials whose compatibility with recycling processes has not been verified may cause process malfunctions or degrade quality, thus making actual recycling difficult.

With these results, SK Chemicals has secured authoritative verification of the value of its diverse polyester material portfolio—including copolyesters, PET, recycled materials, and virgin materials—as recycled raw materials. While recycled materials are generally assessed based on whether and how much recycled feedstock from waste plastics they contain, the industry also considers whether discarded plastics can actually be processed as raw materials to be a key criterion for evaluating recyclability.

"To build a sustainable circular economy, we will continue to accumulate technological expertise in recycling and secure competitiveness throughout the entire process from raw materials to finished products, thereby expanding collaboration with stakeholders including European customers," said Jae-Hyun Ahn, CEO of SK Chemicals.

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