SK chemicals is looking to establish a comprehensive plastic recycling solution centre in Korea. The facility will prioritise the production of circular recyclable raw materials, demonstration research, and material production. Following the announcement on the 18th of February, SK chemicals revealed it will establish a Recycle Innovation Centre (RIC) at its Ulsan plant. Additionally, the company will invest in new pilot facilities for the chemical decomposition of waste plastics to produce recycled BHET (r-BHET).
SK chemicals
SK chemicals' Ulsan facility.
Once opened, the new facility will become SK chemicals’ first depolymerisation technology-based recycling centre located in Korea. Set to produce recyclable plastic raw materials (r-BHET) from waste plastic, the new facility will also validate commercialisation technology for many types of low-quality waste plastics that were difficult to recycle using conventional methods expanding beyond transparent bottles to include fibres, films, and automotive parts.
With operations scheduled to begin in 2026, SK chemicals hopes to achieve an annual production capacity of 50 tons. Additionally, the Ulsan plant will also host an integrated research and production system, covering circular recycled raw materials (r-BHET) and circular recycled materials. All processes, including demonstration research, polymerisation, and mass production, can occur in one location.
“Since different industries such as automotive, electronics, and fashion have varying types of waste plastics and require different plastic qualities and properties, it is crucial to have the technology and capability to quickly validate and commercialise depolymerisation and material production processes tailored to each industry,” explained SK chemicals. “With the establishment of the RIC, we will be able to provide faster and more flexible solutions to the complex challenges demanded by various industries based on our foundational technology.”
SK chemicals’ Closed Loop Solution
Utilising the RIC, SK chemicals hopes to strengthen its cooperation with the automotive, beverage, cosmetics, and electronics sectors, securing waste plastic resource circulation infrastructure and stable waste resource supply chains.
Ahn Jae-hyun, CEO of SK chemicals, said, “Establishing an integrated research and production system from recycled raw materials to recycled plastics will be a crucial turning point in accelerating innovation in the plastic ecosystem's circular recycling. Through close cooperation with companies in food and beverage, automotive, electronics, and fashion sectors, we will develop comprehensive resource circulation systems for each industry.”