Kolon Plastic Develops Engineering Plastics by Recycling Marine Waste

Expansion of Eco-friendly Material Portfolio

Kolon Plastics is embarking on the development of high-performance engineering plastics for industrial use by recycling marine plastic waste such as discarded fishing nets and ropes.

On the 14th, Kolon Plastics announced that it signed an agreement with marine recycled plastic producer Forcis at KINTEX in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province, for the "Supply of High-Purity Marine Plastic Waste Raw Materials and Development of Engineering Compound Products."

Through this agreement, Forcis will produce high-purity recycled plastic raw materials by effectively removing salt and foreign substances from fiber-type marine plastic waste collected from the ocean through an automated preprocessing process.

Kolon Plastics plans to utilize the recycled plastic raw materials provided by Forcis to develop high-performance compound materials applied in automotive parts and electrical and electronic products after technical and quality verification.

Heo Seong, CEO of Kolon Plastics (left), and Won Jong-hwa, CEO of Forcis, are shaking hands at the agreement ceremony held on the 13th at KINTEX in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Kolon Plastics

Kolon Plastics has been consistently conducting product development research using recycled plastic raw materials to build a sustainable society where plastics and the environment coexist. Following the MOU signed in February with the marine waste recycling social venture "Netsfa," this latest MOU further expands its eco-friendly material portfolio. Kolon Plastics plans to proactively respond to the increasing demand for eco-friendly recycled plastic materials from customers, expand new business opportunities, and contribute to creating an eco-friendly ecosystem.

Heo Seong, CEO of Kolon Plastics, stated, "Sustainability is an essential condition for corporate operations," adding, "We will take the lead in ESG management to realize value for customers and shareholders by establishing a circular resource system and expanding eco-friendly product development."

Won Jonghwa, CEO of Forcis, said, "This agreement has laid the technological foundation necessary for applying high-purity marine recycled plastics to various industries," and added, "We will work together with Kolon Plastics to address the marine waste problem." Forcis is the only company in Korea providing marine plastic waste collection and recycling solutions and is currently building a smart factory in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, capable of processing 4,000 tons of plastic waste annually.