SK Chemicals partners with Huvis to make chemical-recycled polyester yarn

SK Chemicals is expanding its business while still maintaining its goal to operate eco-friendly businesses. In its most recent venture, the company joined forces with Huvis, a fiber materials producer, to make polyester yarn products through chemical recycling technology.

SK Chemical’s move to reach its expansion goal

The Korea Times reported that SK Chemicals revealed on Monday, June 28, that together with Huvis, they would be rolling out high-quality polyester yarn that will be released with the name ECOEVER CR. It was said that the product will be introduced to the market within the third quarter of this year.

It was mentioned that SK Chemical and Huvis are jointly launching this environmentally-friendly polyester yarn as part of their plans to expand into the sustainable fiber market. The two companies signed a deal for this project not long ago.

Under the deal, the chemical arm of the SK Group will make and supply recycled plastic bottles, and Huvis will turn them into recycled polyester yarn products. It was mentioned that the chemical recycling process that will be used in making chemical-recycled polyester yarn entails breaking down the waste materials such as plastics and clothes then turning them into raw materials that can be reused.

The ECOEVER CR product

Once Huvis received the recycled plastic bottles and materials from SK Chemicals, it will proceed to make the ECOEVER CR polyester yarn which is said to be a first in the local market. The company already has its own production line at its plant located in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. This was set up for the exclusive production of the said yarn products from recycled materials.

"With the growing social interest in plastic wastes, using eco-friendly produced materials has been regarded as an important factor to consumers," an official from SK Chemicals said. "The company will accelerate the expansion of the chemical-recycled plastic bottles business, starting with the eco-friendly textile and clothing business."

Meanwhile, Aju Business Daily mentioned that this recycling process for plastic bottles is a good way to address the country’s disposal problems and ballooning plastic waste. The best thing is that something new and useful could be made out of plastic waste materials.