Circular Economy SK Geo Centric, Purecycle to Establish Asia’s First Polypropylene Recycling Plant

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SK Geo Centric (SKGC) and Purecycle Technologies have plans to develop the landmark project in Ulsan, South Korea. The facility is expected to have an annual capacity of 60,000 tons once complete and will help SKGC to supply a premium recycled plastic resin to the market.

Orlando/USA – SK geo centric and Purecycle Technologies have signed a non-binding head of agreement (‘HOA’ or ‘term sheet’) to open Asia’s first recycled polypropylene (PP) plant in Ulsan, South Korea. The facility is expected to have an annual capacity of 60,000 tons and an expected completion at the end of 2024. The HOA progresses the business relationship between the two companies, which initiated in August 2021 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU).

Na Kyung-soo, President and CEO of SK geo centric, visited Purecycle’s Feedstock Evaluation Unit, an R&D facility and demonstration plant in Ohio, in November 2021 to evaluate its solvent extraction technology and discuss collaboration plans to deepen the relationship. On January 6, SKGC and Purecycle agreed to key terms that will be included in the joint venture agreement to be negotiated between the two companies.

Kim Jun, Vice Chairman and CEO of SK innovation, said, “SK Geo centric will play a major role in SK Innovation's ‘Carbon to Green strategy,’ along with the battery business.” He added, "We will continue to innovate existing business models and further expand cooperation with global companies with eco-friendly technologies to build a pure plastic environment."

Mike Otworth, Purecycle, CEO, said, “I’m thrilled Purecycle and SKGC are progressing toward opening a recycling facility in Ulsan over the next three years. Combining SK geo centric’s expertise and knowledge of the industry in South Korea with Purecycle’s patented technology that transforms plastic waste into a renewable resource, we can work toward tackling the plastic waste crisis that has impacted every corner of the world.”

Purecycle is the world’s only company that has proprietary technology to separate contaminants, odors, and colors from PP plastic waste to transform it into ultra-pure recycled (UPR) plastic. This technology can be used for commercial production and to recycle contaminated food storage containers, colored detergent bottles, and automotive interior plastic–which are mostly incinerated because they are difficult to recycle–into UPR.

PP is a plastic used widely in everything from consumer products and food packaging to automotive interior materials. Because of the common practice of combining PP with other materials and additives, there have been limitations in traditional mechanical recycling to separate contaminants and produce a like-new recycled plastic. The cooperation between the two companies is designed to create a joint venture that will not only recycle plastic waste and provide South Korea with UPR, but also be able to develop diverse consumer products.

The partnership between the two companies will combine SKGC’s strengths with Purecycle’s purification technology to supply a premium recycled plastic resin to the growing market. Purecycle will leverage its plant module construction processes and partnerships to accelerate the building of the plant in South Korea.

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