Lotte Mart Launches Tomatoes Packaged in 100% Recycled Plastic Containers

Lotte Mart announced on the 17th that it will strengthen its eco-friendly management by introducing 100% recycled plastic container technology.

Last month, Lotte Mart became the first large retailer to launch 'Switel Tomato' packaged in 100% recycled plastic containers using 'chemical recycling' technology. Currently, Lotte Mart sells two products?Switel Tomato (800g, domestic) and Sweet Tango Tomato (800g, domestic)?using chemically recycled plastic containers. The reason tomatoes were selected for the use of recycled plastic containers is that among the products sold year-round, tomatoes use the most plastic packaging. Lotte Mart plans to expand the application of 100% recycled plastic containers, currently used only for these two products, to all 22 tomato product lines by the end of this year.

A customer is examining tomato products packaged in 100% recycled plastic containers at Lotte Mart Seoul Station branch.
[Photo by Lotte Mart].

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Through 100% recycled plastic containers, Lotte Mart aims to strengthen the establishment of a plastic circular economy system and accelerate its ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) activities. Following the 'Korean (K)-Circular Economy Implementation Plan' announced by the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in December last year, Lotte Mart has been conducting various eco-friendly activities such as introducing no-label packaging, removable stickers, and eco-friendly gift packaging sets to build a plastic circular economy system.

As part of establishing the plastic circular economy system, the 100% recycled plastic containers introduced by Lotte Mart this time are recycled packaging materials applying chemical recycling technology. Chemical recycling is a technology that obtains pyrolysis oil, a plastic raw material, by using chemical methods such as depolymerization and pyrolysis on polymer-type plastics. Plastic containers using this technology have the advantages of excellent safety and repeatable use; however, they require a higher level of technology than the mechanically recycled plastics commonly used before, necessitating significant investment in recycling facilities, which makes the production cost about 50% higher. Despite the increased production costs, Lotte Mart decided to adopt this technology to practice eco-friendly management and reduce plastic waste discharged into local communities.

Meanwhile, Lotte Mart is conducting various eco-friendly activities to reduce plastic emissions. Instead of using styrofoam, plastic boxes, and gel ice packs mainly used in traditional holiday gift sets, it is expanding the use of eco-friendly packaging materials such as recycled paper and R-PET (recycled polyester fabric extracted from waste PET bottles) bags. In May last year, Lotte Mart launched no-label private brand (PB) carbonated water and bottled water products to reduce plastic packaging use. Lotte Mart plans to continuously introduce eco-friendly products such as Bonafit recycled T-shirts made from waste plastic, eco-friendly umbrellas, and indoor slippers.

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