LG : Chem Partners with Hwaseong City and Seongji to Open the Way for Recycling Waste PVC Wallpaper

■ On 17th, signed MOU for pilot project on recycling waste PVC wallpaper (silk wallpaper) at Hwaseong City

■ Construction of a resource circulating system of collecting waste wallpaper (Hwaseong) → separating PVC and paper (Seongji) → recycled PVC production (LG Chem)

■ Plans to implement first on about 8 apartment complexes in Hwaseong, and then review application to all of Hwaseong

LG Chem will team up with a local government and SME to take part in a pilot project for recycling waste PVC wallpaper (silk wallpaper).

On the 17th, LG Chem signed an MOU with Hwaseong City and Seongji regarding the construction of a waste PVC wallpaper separated disposal, collection, and recycling system, and the three parties agreed to cooperate actively to establish a systematic foundation for creating a sustainable resource circulating society. * PVC (polyvinyl chloride): One of the most common general-purpose plastics with outstanding insulation performance and durability, and is used as the raw materials for various products such as window frames, pipes, floor materials, wires, wallpaper, etc.

It is expected that through this cooperation, a new pathway for recycling waste PVC wallpaper, which is being thrown away as general wastes, will be created. Silk wallpaper, which is used as wallpaper for most homes, is a useful resource that can be used as regenerated materials, but currently is being incinerated in its full amount due to the lack of a separate collection system and because it is disposed of while being mixed with other wastes.

According to the MOU, Hwaseong City will provide draw up citizen PR, education and policies for practicing and spreading proper separated disposal of waste PVC wallpaper, collect waste wallpaper generated in apartments, store it at the Hwaseong resourcing facility (Goju-ri, Paltan-myeon) and hand it over to the recycling company, Seongji.

Seongji will separate the paper layer and PVC coating layer of the collected waste wallpaper and remove foreign particles on it based on its recycling experience and technology spanning over 20 years, use the paper powder as supplementary materials for paper molds, egg boxes, etc. and send the PVC coating layer to LG Chem.

LG Chem will receive the PVC coating layer and integrate its property reinforcement prescription and compounding technologies to produce highly pure PCR PVC and apply it in various products such as flooring materials to add spurs to expanding the recycling market and enter new markets. * PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) PVC: PVC made by recycling products used by consumers

This pilot project will first be implemented on about eight complexes that expressed their intent for participation in a survey conducted on apartment complexes in Hwaseong. And depending on the progress of the pilot project, reviews will be made on whether to expand it to all other areas of Hwaseong as well.

Meanwhile, Hwaseong Environmental Business Chief Park Min-cheol, LG Chem PVC/Plasticizers Division Leader Yungshin Hwang, and Seongji CEO Moon Jong-gyeong and other relevant figures attended the MOU signing ceremony held at the Hwaseong Environmental Business Division.

Hwaseong Environmental Business Chief Park Min-cheol stated, "We hope that through this MOU, we will be able to build a circulating system where waste PVC wallpaper, which were treated simply as wastes in the past, can be transformed into useful resources, as the first step for Hwaseong to become a leading city of resource circulation."

Seongji CEO Moon Jong-gyeong commented, "We will work hard on developing technologies for environmental protection and recycling resources by turning PVC wallpaper wastes into resources."

LG Chem PVC/Plasticizers Division Leader Yungshin Hwang stated, "Starting with this pilot project together with a local government, we will continue to expand areas eco-friendly technologies and its applicable fields that can circulate waste plastic resources, which are being incinerated or disposed of in everyday life."