SK chemicals Obtains APR Critical Guidance Recognition (ACGR) for 5 Types of Recyclable Materials

• Recyclability and use of recyclable materials such as Claro and ECOTRIA highly evaluated
• Targeting the North American packaging market to expand into the global recycled plastics market

SEONGNAM, South Korea, Aug. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SK chemicals' packaging materials have been recognized for their excellent recyclability in the United States.

On August 28th, SK chemicals announced that five of its products used as packaging materials for cosmetics, food, beverage containers, and more have officially received APR Critical Guidance Recognition (ACGR) from the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) in the United States.

The five products that received APR Critical Guidance Recognition (ACGR) were Claro100, Claro100-CR50, ECOTRIA R102, ECOTRIA R200, and SKYPET CR BL, which were highly evaluated for being recyclable into PET after being used as containers.

These five products have been verified to possess unique PET properties such as viscosity, injection moldability, and glass transition temperature, allowing them to be recycled along with commonly used water bottles after use in daily life.

Claro100, Claro100-CR50, ECOTRIA R102, and ECOTRIA R200 are mainly used in the production of cosmetic containers due to their excellent transparency and chemical resistance. SKYPET CR BL continues to receive recognition for its excellent quality both domestically and internationally, as the material meets the food contact standards of the FDA and is used in South Korea's largest bottled water brand, Samdasoo.

The Association of Plastic Recyclers in the United States is a leading organization in the plastic recycling industry and operates a recognition program aimed at improving the recyclability of plastics. Furthermore, they are leading efforts to expand policies promoting recyclable and eco-friendly plastics in the United States, such as the passage of California's first regulation on disposable plastic use in June 2022.

As a result, global beverage companies such as PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, as well as cosmetics brand owners such as L'Oreal, are participating in the Association of Plastic Recyclers in the United States.

In particular, these companies are announcing policies for the use of eco-friendly plastics, which would replace or improve packaging materials with recycled materials. The APR Critical Guidance Recognition (ACGR) is expected to expand the SK chemicals' global sales of recyclable materials.

According to a McKinsey report, the recycled plastics market is expected to account for 60% of the total plastics market in 2050, and a new market worth KRW 600 trillion will be created.

Jang Hae-geun, CEO of SK chemicals' US subsidiary, stated, "The global market trend is moving toward sustainable products that reduce, reuse, and recycle plastic," and added, "With this APR Critical Guidance Recognition (ACGR), we plan to make efforts to expand our market share of global recycled plastics, not only in North America but also in other parts of the world."

About SK Chemicals

SK Chemicals is one of the world's leading manufacturers of chemical and life science products. The South Korean company's Green Chemicals business focuses particularly on the development and production of biocopolyesters, copolyesters and polyethylene terephthalates (PET), as well as engineering plastics. The Life Science business unit focuses on the production and marketing of medicines. Through continuous innovations that meet the world's highest technological standards, SK Chemicals is known as a market-leading supplier of environmentally friendly materials and holistic medical products.

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