PureCycle and SK Global Chemical fight South Korean plastic waste with advanced recycling facility

16 Aug 2021 --- PureCycle Technologies has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Korean global chemical company SK Global Chemical to build and operate a recycling facility in South Korea, which will turn polypropylene (PP) waste into ultra-pure polypropylene resin (UPRP). 

The companies indicate the MOU will help solve the ongoing plastic waste crisis in South Korea and around the globe. 

“We are bringing together a premier team of experts to achieve our goal of recycling 1 billion pounds of PP waste by 2025. The sad reality is that 91 percent of plastic waste is not recycled,” says PureCycle CEO Mike Otworth. 

“That is exactly why our work with SK Global Chemical will be incredibly important to reducing plastic waste and helping society view plastic as an infinitely sustainable material.” 

Chemical recycling 
PureCycle’s MOU with SK Global Chemical is designed to develop solvent-based recycling operations in the Asia Pacific and add to the facility locations already growing across the US. 

The company uses proprietary technology to recycle waste PP into UPRP for applications spanning consumer goods packaging, automotive, building and construction, and industrial uses. 

The technology can process a range of waste PP with varying contamination levels and effectively remove contaminants to create a UPRP.

The companies indicate the MOU will help solve the plastic waste crisis in South Korea.Construction on PureCycle’s flagship Ohio, US, recycling facility is already underway and expected to begin commercial production in the fourth quarter of 2022. 

“The partnership with PureCycle shows our deep commitment to creating a circular economy for plastics and shows we can collaborate globally to solve the plastic waste problem,” says Na Kyung-soo, CEO of SK Global Chemical.

“We are focused on leading circular systems for plastics with top-notch technology, and that is why PureCycle is the perfect partner for us to continue this focus and amplify our goals.” 

Fighting plastic in South Korea 
This year, SK Global Chemical signed an MOU with waste solutions provider Brightmark for a pyrolysis-based recycling plant in South Korea. 

The company is aiming to fight plastic pollution in accordance with rapidly expanding government regulations. An extended producer responsibility scheme (EPR) requires product manufacturers to collect and recycle the wastes derived from their products. 

Moreover, businesses generating large amounts of waste are given an individual recycling target to meet, and products are required to be easy to recycle by design.

In 2017, each South Korean citizen discharged 1.02 kg of household waste daily, only a third of the amount in 1991. During the same period, Korea’s waste recycling rate increased up to 86 percent, according to the Korean Ministry of Environment. 

However, the Korea Herald reports that plastic waste collected per day reached 8.53 million metric tons last year, up 14.6 percent from the daily average of 7.4 million tons a year earlier. 

According to Ministry data, the amount of medical waste has also ballooned on the back of rising demand for medical services. 

By Louis Gore-Langton 

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