SK Chemicals to Establish a Comprehensive Recycling Innovation Center in Korea
In a groundbreaking initiative, SK Chemicals, renowned as the world’s first company to successfully produce mass quantities of chemically recycled materials, is set to establish a state-of-the-art Recycling Innovation Center (RIC) at its Ulsan plant in South Korea. This innovative hub aims to significantly advance the recycling process by focusing on the seamless integration of existing production infrastructures with new technology aimed at the chemical decomposition of plastic waste.
The announcement made on February 18, 2025, outlines the company's commitment to creating an integrated facility dedicated not only to producing circular recyclable raw materials but also to conducting research and demonstrating their production capabilities. What sets this center apart is its focus on the chemical depolymerization of plastics, specifically targeting low-quality waste materials that have posed recycling challenges in the past.
This new RIC is the first facility in Korea that utilizes SK Chemicals' depolymerization technology to create r-BHET (recycled BHET), which serves as a crucial intermediate raw material for polyester-based products like PET and copolyester. The ability to recycle diverse materials, including complex textiles and automotive components, highlights SK Chemicals' forward-thinking approach to tackling plastic waste, particularly in the challenging textile sector known for its mixed fiber compositions.
Scheduled to commence operations in 2026, the facility aims to achieve an annual production capacity of 50 tons of r-BHET. By establishing this center, SK Chemicals plans to create a comprehensive research and production ecosystem that integrates every stage of recycling, from the depolymerization of used plastics to demonstration research, polymerization, and large-scale production.
The strategic vision behind the RIC is to streamline the recycling processes for various industries that utilize plastic materials, such as automotive, electronics, and fashion. As these sectors generate different types of plastic waste with specific quality requirements, having the technology to effectively validate and commercialize depolymerization processes tailored to each industry is pivotal.
Ahn Jae-hyun, CEO of SK Chemicals, expressed that the establishment of an integrated system for research and production encompassing the entire lifecycle—from recycled raw materials to end products—will be critical in driving innovation within the circular recycling ecosystem of plastics. As such, collaborations with companies from different industries will be fundamental in developing effective resource circulation systems.
Furthermore, the RIC's completion will boost SK Chemicals’ Closed Loop initiative, a model that emphasizes total circulation where previously discarded plastics undergo a cleaning and recycling process, allowing them to be transformed back into products indistinguishable from those made from virgin materials. This innovative approach not only reintegrates plastic waste into the supply chain but also counters the prevalent practice of incinerating or landfilling post-consumer products.
As a trailblazer in this space, SK Chemicals has continually demonstrated leadership with its record of firsts: from being the first globally to market circular recycled copolyester in 2021 to successfully supplying r-PET in Korea by 2022. The new RIC represents a pivotal step toward scaling these sustainable practices even further.
This ambitious project not only underscores SK Chemicals’ dedication to technological advancement in the recycling sector but also reflects its commitment to environmental innovation—a vital step as the world faces substantive plastic waste challenges. By leveraging its expertise, SK Chemicals is poised to foster effective collaborations that streamline resource circulation in the beverage, cosmetic, electronic, and automotive sectors, ultimately enhancing plastic resource management and sustainability in industry supply chains.
The announcement made on February 18, 2025, outlines the company's commitment to creating an integrated facility dedicated not only to producing circular recyclable raw materials but also to conducting research and demonstrating their production capabilities. What sets this center apart is its focus on the chemical depolymerization of plastics, specifically targeting low-quality waste materials that have posed recycling challenges in the past.
This new RIC is the first facility in Korea that utilizes SK Chemicals' depolymerization technology to create r-BHET (recycled BHET), which serves as a crucial intermediate raw material for polyester-based products like PET and copolyester. The ability to recycle diverse materials, including complex textiles and automotive components, highlights SK Chemicals' forward-thinking approach to tackling plastic waste, particularly in the challenging textile sector known for its mixed fiber compositions.
Scheduled to commence operations in 2026, the facility aims to achieve an annual production capacity of 50 tons of r-BHET. By establishing this center, SK Chemicals plans to create a comprehensive research and production ecosystem that integrates every stage of recycling, from the depolymerization of used plastics to demonstration research, polymerization, and large-scale production.
The strategic vision behind the RIC is to streamline the recycling processes for various industries that utilize plastic materials, such as automotive, electronics, and fashion. As these sectors generate different types of plastic waste with specific quality requirements, having the technology to effectively validate and commercialize depolymerization processes tailored to each industry is pivotal.
Ahn Jae-hyun, CEO of SK Chemicals, expressed that the establishment of an integrated system for research and production encompassing the entire lifecycle—from recycled raw materials to end products—will be critical in driving innovation within the circular recycling ecosystem of plastics. As such, collaborations with companies from different industries will be fundamental in developing effective resource circulation systems.
Furthermore, the RIC's completion will boost SK Chemicals’ Closed Loop initiative, a model that emphasizes total circulation where previously discarded plastics undergo a cleaning and recycling process, allowing them to be transformed back into products indistinguishable from those made from virgin materials. This innovative approach not only reintegrates plastic waste into the supply chain but also counters the prevalent practice of incinerating or landfilling post-consumer products.
As a trailblazer in this space, SK Chemicals has continually demonstrated leadership with its record of firsts: from being the first globally to market circular recycled copolyester in 2021 to successfully supplying r-PET in Korea by 2022. The new RIC represents a pivotal step toward scaling these sustainable practices even further.
This ambitious project not only underscores SK Chemicals’ dedication to technological advancement in the recycling sector but also reflects its commitment to environmental innovation—a vital step as the world faces substantive plastic waste challenges. By leveraging its expertise, SK Chemicals is poised to foster effective collaborations that streamline resource circulation in the beverage, cosmetic, electronic, and automotive sectors, ultimately enhancing plastic resource management and sustainability in industry supply chains.
Topics Environment）
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