To reduce waste from discarded banners, SK chemicals has joined hands with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, local governments, and private companies. SK Chemicals signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on waste banner recycling with five local Korean governments, REVELOP, Sejinplus, and Kakao.

SK Chemicals, five Korean local governments, and private companies partnered in waste banner recycling project.

The partnership aims to establish a virtuous cycle for waste banners – collecting discarded banners, converting them into raw materials through chemical technology, and recycling them into new products.

Under the agreement, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will support coordination between local governments and companies to promote mutual growth.

The five participating local governments, including Sejong, Gangneung, Cheongju, Naju, and Changwon, will collect waste banners generated within their jurisdictions to establish a stable supply system. They will also work to promote the adoption of products made from the recycled raw materials derived from these banners.

Recycled to produce rPET products

SK chemicals will be responsible for fully breaking down the collected waste banners at the molecular level using depolymerization-based circular recycling technology and converting them into recycled PET materials.

Chemically recycled materials based on depolymerization can be repeatedly recycled without any degradation in quality, unlike mechanically recycled materials. If the PET material produced through this process is used as a raw material for banners, it enables the realization of a complete circular system – closed loop – where waste banners are turned back into new banners.

Starting at the end of this year, SK chemicals plans to begin full-scale production of recycled materials using chemical recycling technology.

Applications and possible upcycling solution

Following the agreement, the recycled materials will first be applied to electrical and electronic products through mechanical recycling (compounding) combined with high-value-added technologies for a certain period.

The recycled PET materials produced by SK chemicals will be used by REVELOP and Kakao to manufacture a variety of end products such as clothing, desks, and banners, which will then be distributed and sold. In addition, Sejinplus is working to upcycle waste banners into automotive interior materials and construction materials through physical processing methods.