LG Chem signs up for PVC recycling

South Korea firm LG Chem has agreed a memorandum of understanding with Ansan City to recycle its end-of-life polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

An estimated 15 000 tonnes of PVC is collected in Ansan in Gyeonggi Province every year. Using chemical recycling, LG Chem will convert it into pyrolysis oil to power its new facility in Dangjin. The site is scheduled to open in the second half of this year. 

Plastic specialist

LG Chem, based in Seoul, specialises in chemicals and battery manufacturing. It produces a variety of products with a ‘high waste plastic content’ including polyethylene, polypropylene, ABS and PVC.

LG Chem’s recycling activities supports the company’s mission to create and ‘unprecedented environmental, social and governance business model’. Executive vice president Sung Woo Hur confirms its recent recycling activities are meant to position the company as an ‘eco-friendly petrochemical business’.

Collaboration

The partnership with Ansan follows LG Chem’s 2023 collaboration with start-up Innerbottle to develop an eco-platform that ‘fully recycles’ cosmetic packaging. The company points out that over 1.5 billion plastic cosmetic containers are discarded worldwide every year. ‘If just 10% of these are recycled, it could reduce 75 000 tons of carbon annually.’