Kolon partners with US eco-friendly plastic company... "Achieving price competitiveness for mass production in 2025"

A Kolon Industries researcher is examining a film made from recycled plastic raw materials.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Kolon Industries announced on the 10th that it will collaborate with the U.S. company Origin Materials to develop an eco-friendly material to replace polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is mainly used as a plastic raw material. The company expects this to overcome the drawbacks of existing eco-friendly plastics, which have inferior physical properties or are expensive.

According to Kolon, Origin Materials possesses core technology to produce chemical raw materials from used natural substances such as waste wood and waste paper. Global companies like Nestl? and Pepsi are major shareholders of this company. By combining Kolon Industries' polymer plastic manufacturing and processing capabilities, it is expected that the shortcomings of existing natural materials can be supplemented to create products with higher physical properties than petroleum-based PET.

Existing eco-friendly plastics made from 100% bio-based raw materials have lower physical properties compared to petrochemical PET. They are mainly used for disposable items such as straws and have been considered insufficient to replace the existing PET market. The eco-friendly bio-plastic raw materials developed by Origin Materials compensate for all these shortcomings, making it possible to replace existing PET. The company expects that when the product is mass-produced, it will reduce carbon emissions by more than 50% compared to conventional petrochemical plastics.

The two companies plan to produce bio-PET as well as polyethylene furanoate (PEF) products. PEF, based on bio raw materials, is an advanced polymer plastic that has not yet been commercialized and offers better rigidity, heat resistance, and airtightness compared to existing PET. Kolon expects to expand its applications to films, fibers, and automotive parts by adding its own technology. The company stated that mass production could begin around 2025.

Jang Hee-gu, President of Kolon Industries, said, "Business expansion without considering the environment is now meaningless," adding, "We will lead ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management by not only recycling waste plastics but also building a carbon-reducing plastic ecosystem."