SK Chemicals Launches Circular Economy for Waste Banners

The newly formed Waste Banner Resource Circulation Consortium unites SK Chemicals with private firms MOA, Daehan Media, and Upcloth, alongside the Seogwipo City government. This collaborative framework targets the Gyeongsang, Honam, and Jeju regions, where an estimated 1,000 tons of banner waste are produced each year. By decentralizing collection and standardizing local sorting, the project aims to keep resources within the communities that generate them.

Unlike traditional mechanical recycling, which often results in lower-quality upcycled goods like tote bags, SK Chemicals utilizes depolymerization to break plastic polymers down to the molecular level. This process eliminates impurities and color degradation, allowing the material to be repolymerized into new, high-quality banner fabric. MOA will handle pre-processing, while Daehan Media manages the final production and distribution. Seogwipo City is simultaneously developing the institutional policies required to sustain this regional cycle, providing a potential template for other provinces to adopt. The initiative seeks to transition away from one-time use, establishing a permanent, sustainable supply chain for textile waste.