SK Chemicals is accelerating its push into the global circular economy market after RecyClass, a recycling evaluation body in the European Union, verified the recyclability of its copolyester material ECOTRIA CLARO and its PET material SKYPET in PET recycling processes. RecyClass is a nonprofit, cross-industry initiative that certifies whether plastic materials are suitable for real-world recycling. Its certification is considered a key technical gateway for entering the EU market, as uncertified materials can cause process anomalies or quality degradation during recycling.
Seven products passed the verification. Five ECOTRIA CLARO grades received a Full Compatibility rating, meaning they can be recycled across PET recycling streams without restrictions. Two SKYPET grades received a Conditional Compatibility rating, indicating they are recyclable under specific process conditions.
The company secured RecyClass’s Technical Approval, which verifies whether a material can be converted into recycled feedstock without affecting existing processes. The approval goes beyond the product-level Class A rating SK Chemicals obtained last year for PET bottles made with its SKYPET CR recycled PET, as it verifies the recycling compatibility of the material itself.
“This verification confirms the recyclability of our materials as feedstock, which is one pillar of the complete circular structure we are building,” says Ahn Jae-hyun, CEO, SK Chemicals. He added that the company will continue developing recycling technology across the entire process, from basic materials to finished products, to expand collaboration with EU customers.
The certification comes as the European Union raises mandatory recycled content targets for plastics. The region requires a minimum of 25% recycled content in PET beverage bottles by 2025 and is phasing in rules requiring all plastic packaging to be recyclable by 2030.
Closing the Loop on Waste Banners
SK Chemicals is also building a circular economy model for used advertising banners in South Korea. On Oct. 6, the company announced the creation of the Waste Banner Resource Circulation Consortium with MOA, Daehan Media, Upcloth and the resource circulation team of Seogwipo City, on Jeju Island. The consortium emerged from a challenge SK Chemicals presented at the Solveathon idea contest, organized by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS).
MOA and Daehan Media will collect banners in the Gyeongsang region, while Upcloth will cover Honam and Seogwipo. Upcloth will also promote local employment by hiring participants from job integration programs and people with disabilities. MOA will pretreat the collected banners, which will then be converted back into raw materials through SK Chemicals’ depolymerization technology. Daehan Media will produce the chemically recycled fabric and distribute it through its national sales network. Seogwipo, the only local government directly involved, will develop the institutional framework to complete the entire cycle within the region.
The three participating regions generate more than 1,000t of used banners each year, according to SK Chemicals. Nationwide, South Korea produces about 6,000t of waste banners annually, and about 70% end up in landfills or incinerators, according to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment.
Unlike mechanical recycling, which shreds, washes and remelts plastic waste and is largely limited to clean streams such as clear PET bottles, depolymerization breaks plastic down at the molecular level. This allows the company to recover raw materials from a wider range of waste, including textile banners, while maintaining material quality across successive recycling cycles. SK Chemicals plans to standardize collection systems at the provincial level and gradually replicate the model in other regions.
Source: mexicobusiness.news
