Kolon-SK Cooperates in Developing Biodegradable Plastic… Targeting the eco-friendly strategy

Researchers at SK Global Chemical and Kolon Industries are holding PBAT samples jointly developed by the two companies [Photo provided = SK Innovation]

Kolon Industries and SK Global Chemical by cooperating together they will launch PBAT an eco-friendly biodegradable plastic product in the second half of this year. The two companies announced on the same day that they had signed a Strategic partnership to commercialize eco-friendly biodegradable plastic products at SK Building in Jongno-gu Seoul.

PBAT is an eco-friendly plastic product that decomposes naturally by oxygen heat light and enzymatic reactions. Plastic products usually take nearly 100 years to decompose naturally but PBAT products are eco-friendly materials that when empolded 90% above are naturally decomposed within 6 months of reclamation. It is generally applied to agricultural vinyls and disposable bags which are difficult to recycle and has the advantages of processability being very flexible and can be easily mixed with other plastic products.

The two companies which have been jointly developing PBAT since last year will complete production of prototypes certification of products and joint patent applications by the first half of this year and will officially launch high-quality PBAT products from the third quarter.

Within the cooperation Kolon Industries will receive supply of raw materials stably from SK Global Chemical and create PBAT and SK Global Chemical will add know-how such as optimum temperature and combine percentage of material in the process to produce high quality PBAT product.


The two companies aim to secure more than 50000 tons of PBAT production per year by 2023 which is the largest scale in Korea to preemptively respond to the problem of waste plastics and to actively respond to the growing demand for biodegradable products. Following the announcement of the 2050 Carbon Neutrality by the Ministery of Environment the biodegradable plastic product market is expected to expand geometrically due to the strengthening of plastic use regulations around the world.

The two companies plan to continually expand their portfolio of eco-friendly biodegradable plastic products and jointly complete the plastic circulatory system by promoting the business cooperation model which produces recycled products using waste plastics as a raw material.

Jang Hee-gu CEO of Kolon Industries said We are happy to contribute to the solution of environmental problems by developing new biodegradable plastic products.” and added The PBAT business which the two companies are jointly entering is part of ESG management and Kolon Industries will become an eco-friendly company which opens sustainable tomorrow.

Na Kyung-soo president of SK Chemicals said Through this joint cooperation we will secure discriminatory competitiveness in the biodegradable plastic market and quickly build the eco-friendly plastic circulatory system.

Researchers at SK Global Chemical and Kolon Industries are measuring the properties of PBAT products jointly developed by the two companies. [Photo provided = Kolon Industries]

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