"Eco-friendliness is the Trend"...Mid-sized Companies Accelerate 'ESG Management' Efforts

Welcron Hantec Leads Water Recycling with Eco-Friendly Wastewater Treatment System
Coway Conducts Environmental Protection Campaign and Water Sharing Project... Engages in Social Activities
Lock&Lock Leads Resource Circulation with Recycled PP Eco Bags

Welcron Hantec's Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) wastewater treatment system. For example, after adopting the ZLD method, a factory that used to generate 100 tons of wastewater boiled the wastewater, recycling 97 tons of water within the factory, with only 3 tons of sludge discharged for landfill, Welcron Hantec added. Photo by Welcron Hantec

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] As interest in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management grows across industries, various domestic mid-sized companies are also joining ESG management efforts, continuing campaigns for eco-friendly initiatives and creating social value.

Plant comprehensive construction company Welcron Hantec announced on the 15th that it is leading ESG management through the manufacturing of zero liquid discharge (ZLD) wastewater treatment facilities, energy-saving, and anaerobic wastewater treatment equipment.

Currently, the zero liquid discharge system (ZDL) equipment produced by Welcron Hantec helps recycle water by preventing wastewater generated during production processes at power plants or food and chemical factories from being discharged into rivers, instead enabling reuse. The company explains that this contributes to minimizing water waste and water pollution issues.

A Welcron Hantec representative explained the principle of ZDL: “For example, when eating ramen and cleaning up afterward, the solids are removed, and the remaining broth is discarded down the drain. Assuming this leftover broth is wastewater from power generation, the process involves boiling it to filter out various impurities in the broth and collecting the clean steam produced to convert it back into water.” They added that the core of the ZLD system is the ‘evaporator concentrator,’ which boils the wastewater to evaporate it into steam, and the ‘crystallizer,’ which converts impurities into solid sludge that is easy to dispose of.

In fact, a factory producing 100 tons of wastewater was able to recycle 97 tons of water within the factory after introducing the ZLD method by boiling 100 tons of wastewater, with only 3 tons of sludge discharged for landfill. A Welcron Hantec representative said, “We will accelerate ESG management through green industry technologies such as eco-friendly wastewater treatment methods.”

Coway is carrying out the "Sharing Water of Life" project, installing water purifiers for residents in areas without access to tap water. The photo shows a Coway employee handing clean water after installing a water purifier at the Geumbuk-ro village hall in Hongseong-gun, Chungcheongnam-do last year. Photo by Coway

Eco-friendly Management Draws Attention with Environmental Protection Campaigns and Resource Circulation Product Launches

Coway launched a ‘Reduce PET Bottle Usage’ campaign on the 5th in celebration of Environment Day. This campaign, which raises awareness about the serious issue of plastic waste damaging nature and encourages everyday actions to protect the environment, received great response from consumers, especially on Instagram.

Since 2015, Coway has been conducting social contribution activities called ‘Safe Groundwater’ in partnership with the Ministry of Environment as part of the ‘Sharing Water of Life’ project. The company is also taking the lead in fulfilling social responsibilities by supporting water purifiers in areas without access to tap water to improve water welfare. A Coway representative explained, “We have declared a mid-to-long-term goal to achieve 100% renewable energy transition and carbon neutrality by 2050, and established a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 50% by 2030, proactively responding to climate change.”

Household goods company Lock&Lock has been running the ‘Love for Planet’ campaign since last year, collecting airtight containers for resource circulation. On the 3rd, it launched the industry’s first eco-friendly eco-bag made from recycled polypropylene (PP). The comeback eco-bag introduced this time is Lock&Lock’s second resource circulation product following last year’s bags made from marine plastics and plastic airtight containers. A Lock&Lock representative emphasized, “This product especially strengthens eco-friendly elements by using only polypropylene (PP), the main material of airtight containers, rather than recycled PET, which is commonly used in upcycled clothing materials.”

As financial sectors increasingly evaluate companies’ ESG management to decide on investments and the government’s ‘Green New Deal’ policy and other environmental perspectives are used to assess corporate value, the adoption of ESG management is expected to become more active even among mid-sized and small businesses.

Meanwhile, according to the Korea Federation of Mid-sized Enterprises, 8 out of 10 mid-sized companies (78.2%) feel the necessity of ESG management. Companies cite ‘demands from clients and consumers’ (42.6%) and ‘response to ESG regulations’ (34.7%) as motivations for promoting ESG management.