SK Chemical Collaborates with Eco-Friendly Brand 'Project1907'

Development of Chemically Recycled Fashion Fabrics and Products through Plastic Circulation Platform 'Eum'

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jung] SK Chemicals has partnered with upcycling lifestyle brand Project1907 to develop fashion products. Upcycling refers to enhancing the value of recyclable clothes or textile materials by adding design and functionality.

On the 27th, SK Chemicals announced that it signed a business agreement for the "development of chemically recycled fabrics and upcycled fashion products" at its headquarters in Pangyo, with Kim Jeongsik, CEO of Sesangeomneun Sesang, and Jeong Jaejun, head of SK Chemicals' New Business Development Office, in attendance.

Project1907 is an eco-friendly lifestyle fashion brand of the social enterprise Sesangeomneun Sesang. The brand was launched last year with the aspiration to return to a world of primitive beauty that existed before plastic appeared in human history in 1907. It produces and sells accessories made from recycled materials and eco-friendly fabrics.

Under this agreement, Project1907 will actively cooperate with SK Chemicals' plastic circular ecosystem platform Eum to produce fabrics using eco-friendly materials and launch fashion products. SK Chemicals will supply 'SKYPET CR,' the material needed for fabric production, while Project1907 will expand its portfolio of chemically recycled fabric materials and produce various fashion products such as functional clothing, bags, and hats using durable fabrics. Additionally, upcycled fabrics and fashion products suitable for everyday use will be sold through the Project1907 website.

Chemical recycling is a technology that breaks down waste plastic into pure raw materials to manufacture polymer plastics. Unlike conventional physical recycling materials that crush and reuse waste plastic, chemically recycled PET materials contain fewer micro-impurities, enabling the production of high-quality fibers used in suits, casual wear, functional sportswear, curtains, and bedding. Following the development of eco-friendly artificial leather applying the natural bio-based material ECOTRION, SK Chemicals is driving a green wave in the sustainable fashion market through collaborations such as fabric development and sales with Art Impact and the Korea Textile Development Institute using chemical recycling.

Although chemically recycled fibers are in the early stages of market formation, they are gaining attention as the future of recycled fibers due to their excellent quality and stable production. According to the "Strategy for Fostering Eco-friendly and Recycled Fiber Fashion Industry" published by the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade in November last year, the global demand for recycled fibers is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 5.2%, from $5.332 billion in 2018 to $8.02 billion (10.37 trillion KRW) in 2026.

Kim Jeongsik, CEO of Sesangeomneun Sesang, said, "Existing upcycling materials had limitations in being difficult to recycle again after textile product production," adding, "We plan to establish a virtuous cycle upcycling model that enables infinite repeated reproduction using chemical recycling."

Jeong Jaejun, head of SK Chemicals' New Business Development Office, stated, "Chemical recycling technology for plastics is a definite solution for achieving Net Zero, and the differentiated physical properties that allow uniform quality raw material supply will increase interest in recycled materials," adding, "We plan to lead the normalization of chemically recycled materials through various collaborative activities to build a sustainable ecosystem."