SK geo centric to recycle polypropylene with PureCycle

SK geo centric CEO Na Kyung-soo poses with Dustin Olson, CEO of PureCycle Technologies after signing an agreement to establish a joint venture to build a recycling plant in Ulsan. [SK GEO CENTRIC]

SK geo centric will establish a joint venture with Florida-based PureCycle Technologies to build a polypropylene recycling plant in Ulsan.

The two companies will jointly invest $3.9 million for the 50:50 plant, which will turn contaminated plastic feedstock into ultra-pure recycled plastic that can be infinitely reused and recycled.

Construction is expected to be finished in the second quarter of 2025, and the plant will have an annual capacity of up to 60,000 tons.

Once completed, SK geo centric will be in charge of managing the facility including marketing and sales, while PureCycle will contribute its recycling technology.

Polypropylene is one of the most widely used plastics and can be found in household and commercial products like food packaging, automotive interior materials and home appliances. Since the conventional plastic recycling process cannot fully remove contaminants, most polypropylene ends up being incinerated or sent to landfills.

PureCycle has a unique technology capable of removing odors, colors and other contaminants from polypropylene waste and transforming it into ultra-pure recycled plastic.

PureCycle is building its first recycling plant in Ohio. The recycling company broke ground on a second facility in Georgia earlier this year.

SK geo centric also signed an agreement with Haier, China's largest home appliance maker, to cooperate in the recycling of plastic waste.

The two parties promised to jointly work to recycle plastics from used home appliances, and are considering building a joint venture in China for the business.

In June, SK geo centric also signed an agreement with Canada's Loop Industries to establish a joint plastic recycling plant in France.

"We will continue to contribute to making Korea play a key role in the rapidly growing global recycling industry, as well as in reducing carbon emissions," said SK geo centric CEO Na Kyung-soo.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]