SK Chemical Conducts Ocean Cleanup Volunteer Activity with Employees and Their Families

SK Chemical, Bioscience, and Plasma Collaborate
Beachcombing Volunteer Activity at Eulwangri Beach Followed by Upcycling Efforts

Members and their families from SK Chemicals, SK Bioscience, and SK Plasma are participating in a beachcombing volunteer activity, picking up trash at Eulwangri Beach in Jung-gu, Incheon. (Photo by SK Chemicals)

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] SK Chemicals, SK Bioscience, and SK Plasma announced on the 4th that the three companies conducted a beach cleanup volunteer activity called "Beach Combing: Brushing to Save the Sea" with employees and their families at Eulwangri Beach in Jung-gu, Incheon.

Beach Combing is a compound word combining 'Beach,' meaning shore, and 'Combing,' meaning brushing. It refers to environmental conservation activities that involve picking up marine debris or trash as if combing the beach. SK Chemicals planned this event to help employees and their families empathize with the issues facing marine ecosystems and to provide volunteer opportunities related to environmental issues.

The 49 employees and family members who participated in the event received education on the current state of marine pollution and environmental conservation activities through beach combing before starting the activity. The educational content, designed to raise awareness about the seriousness of marine litter problems, was created as a card news-style handbook that was easy for children to understand, considering the age range of the child participants.

Lee Geun-ho, Manager of the Bio Materials Business Team at SK Chemicals, who participated in the volunteer activity, said, "It was a great opportunity to teach my children about the seriousness of environmental pollution and the importance of ecosystem conservation," adding, "I definitely want to participate again with my children next time."

Members and their families from SK Chemicals, SK Bioscience, and SK Plasma participated in a beach cleanup volunteer activity called 'beachcombing' and are now engaged in upcycling activities. (Photo by SK Chemicals)

After about an hour of beach combing around Eulwangri Beach, the participants also took part in an upcycling experience using the collected items and recyclables prepared by the company. They made mood lamps using discarded PET bottles and leftover fibers from sock factories, and created mobiles from glass fragments obtained through the beach combing activity, learning the importance of upcycling.

Kim Cheol-jin, Head of Management Support Headquarters at SK Chemicals, said, "The impact of marine litter on ecosystems is very significant, with about one million seabirds dying annually due to marine debris," adding, "We will continue to strengthen our efforts in environmental conservation activities such as beach combing."