Chemical companies prove they can go green too

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Chemical companies prove they can go green too

Beverage bottles made from LG Chem's LETZero material. [LG CHEM]

Beverage bottles made from LG Chem's LETZero material. [LG CHEM]

Chemical companies are selling eco-friendly products, hoping their ecologically concerned customers will notice.
 
LG Chem on Monday launched an eco-friendly material brand called LETZero, which includes recycled plastics, biodegradable materials and plant-based materials. 
 
“LG Chem plans to fortify the company’s eco-friendly image through LETZero, targeting the growing number of green consumers who prefer products that contribute to protecting the environment,” the company said in a release Monday.
 
The brand will include battery materials in the future, according to the company.
 
LETZero’s first product will be a bio-balanced super absorbent polymer (SAP) scheduled to launch later in the month. It is the world’s first SAP material with ISCC Plus certification, an international certification for eco-friendly bio products that meets European Union's stringent Renewable Energy Directives standards.  
 
The LETZero SAP will be used in hygiene products such as diapers.
 
LG Chem plans to allow the use of the LETZero logo on products made by some of its clients.
 
“LETZero reflects LG Chem’s determination to make a sustainable future by reducing carbon emissions and toxic elements,” said LG Chem CEO Shin Hak-cheol. 
 
“LG Chem wants to be involved in more diverse activities related to protecting the environment.”
 
LETZero’s launch is part of LG Chem’s plan to invest 3 trillion won in sustainable businesses including recycled materials and renewable energy, through 2050.  
LETZero's logo [LG CHEM]

LETZero's logo [LG CHEM]

Chemical companies’ efforts to introduce eco-friendly products have increased in response to demands from environmentally sensitive consumers. Along with oil refiners, chemical companies are blamed for environmental pollution, mainly because they produce plastics that take many years to decompose. 
 
Chemical and textile company Hyosung TNC has been recycling  plastic bottles for its eco-friendly textile brand Regen since the early 2000s. In collaboration with municipal governments, Hyosung TNC collects used plastic bottles and makes them into textiles that can be used in apparel and bags.  
 
Last year, Hyosung TNC collaborated with the government of Jeju Island to run the Regen Jeju project, in which plastic water bottles collected on the island were reborn into Regen textiles. They were sourced to local handbag maker Pleats Mama.
 
Early this year, Hyosung TNC initiated a similar project in Seoul under the name Regen Seoul.  
 
SK Chemical is poised to launch cosmetic containers made out of recycled plastics under its eco-friendly plastic brand called Ecotria. Mass production is slated for September, according to the company. 
 
 

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]
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