SK chemicals works on development of high-quality fibers with recycled PET bottles

[Courtesy of SK Chemicals]

SEOUL -- SK chemicals tied up with a state research body and a social enterprise to develop high-quality recycled fibers, as part of efforts to expand its green chemical business using eco-friendly materials, such as Skypet CR, which is based on chemically recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.

Using Skypet CR with excellent physical properties and eco-friendliness, the Korea Textile Development Institute (KTDI) will produce various threads. Art Impact, a social venture engaged in e-commerce and clothing manufacturing, will sell fabrics and use them for the production of clothes.

"We hope that interest in recycled raw materials will increase thanks to growing environment-conscious value consumption," Kim Hyun-suk, head of SK chemicals' green chemical division, said in a statement on September 21.

The accumulation of plastic waste has become a serious global problem. PET is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin used in the creation of fabrics and plastic bottles. Recycled PET bottles have been used to manufacture clothes, bags and shoes. Chemical recycling breaks down and returns plastic to its pure, raw material form. It is an attractive way to address the explosive growth of plastic waste and disposal problems.

SK chemicals has established a green business platform for a recycled plastic circulation ecosystem that connects producers, partners, and brands online. In the first green design project on September 6, the chemical company partnered with KNK, a domestic toothbrush company, to develop a toothbrush brand using raw materials produced through chemical recycling.