Curly Develops E-commerce's First 'Ice Pack Using Recycled Resin'

Curly, 'Ice Pack Using Recycled Resin'.

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[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] Market Kurly announced on the 12th that it has developed and started using ice packs made from recycled resin, the first of its kind in e-commerce.

Kurly expects that by using recycled resin ice packs, it will reduce vinyl production by 104 tons and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 230 tons by the end of this year. This is equivalent to the effect of planting 82,800 pine tree seedlings.

Kurly's packaging planning team developed the recycled resin ice packs over six months by recycling waste vinyl. They create upcycled fabric by mixing recycled resin with new vinyl, which is then used as the film for water ice packs. The recycled resin film was developed in collaboration with SK Geocentric and Daelim Chemical.

Generally, upcycled fabric has lower strength compared to conventional vinyl materials that do not use recycled resin, making it difficult to use for ice packs. If an ice pack breaks, leakage occurs and the cooling effect decreases. Kurly explained that to solve this problem, they tested various types of films. Kurly stated, "After 26 tests with 13 different materials, we were able to develop a recycled resin film that meets the standards," adding, "We will start using this product from this month."

In 2019, Kurly switched from conventional superabsorbent resin ice packs to 100% water-based water ice packs. They used single-material vinyl so that only the water inside the water ice pack needs to be discarded for immediate recycling. Kurly's use of water ice packs has reduced general waste by 14,248 tons annually.

Since last year, Kurly has continued efforts to reduce new vinyl production by incorporating recycled resin into vinyl packaging materials such as courier bags and air cap pouches used to protect eggs. Kurly has operated the first packaging planning team in the e-commerce industry since 2019 and established a corporate research institute in 2020.

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