Samyang : Becomes Korea's First to Develop Post-Consumer Recycled Plastics that Contains over 90% of Eco-Friendly Polycarbonate Material

- Succeeded in developing an eco-friendly PC made with over 90% recycled PC material reused from thrown out plastic

- Achieved the advantages of PC as well as reaching the highest grades in UL eco-friendly certification and flammability retardant test

- Expected to first implement on small appliances such as laptops with plans to continuously expand usage fields by applying the material to various plastic resins

▲The PCR PC that contains over 90% of recycled PC material developed by Samyang Corporation

Samyang Corporation has succeeded in developing an eco-friendly material with recycled plastic resources, actively taking into action the goal of ESG management.

Samyang Corporation (CEO Kang Ho-sung), the chemical and food subsidiary of Samyang Group, announced on the 28th to becoming the first in Korea to develop an eco-friendly PC (polycarbonate) that contains over 90% of PCR PC (post-consumer recycled polycarbonate). PC is transparent and highly resistant to shock and heat, which is why it is mostly used as an engineering plastic for automotives, interior and exterior material for home appliances, sound-proof walls, and parts of medical devices.

PCR PC is manufactured through a compounding process that combines material of recycled PC and new PC, requiring high levels of technical skills and expertise. This is because, during the production of PC, elements other than polymer synthetic resins, including fire retardant materials, reinforcing agents, and dyes are added for strengthening and aesthetic purposes, which are deformed in high-temperature melting, weakening the innate property of PC. Due to this reason, PCR PC developed in Korea only contained up to 85% of recycled PC material, while the highest rate of PCR PC out on the market was only between 30-50%.

Samyang Corporation started its PCR PC development last year, and in only two years, the company succeeded in creating recycled PC with the original properties of PC, such as flammability retardancy, transparency, and shock resistance, while also containing over 90% of recycled PC material. Samyang Corporation's success is the result of utilizing the company's expertise in PC development built over the years, redesigning and optimizing the ratio of recyclable materials and additives from multiple angles. Another reason comes from securing the supply of recyclable PC material in sufficient amount and in high quality with excellent condition clear from contamination and foreign substances.

PCR PC is eco-friendly as it reduces plastic waste and has a carbon remission effect from energy use reduction. Samyang Corporation stated that the recently developed PCR PC has around 6,200 tons more carbon remission effect based of its 1,000 ton production unit compared to previous materials. That is the same amount of carbon emission from approximately 3,200 automotives.

The company's material was recognized for being eco-friendly, gaining the "ECV (Environmental Claims Validations)" from the United States' safety standard development and certification institute, the UL (Underwriters Laboratories). The ECV is an environment symbol that verifies the eco-friendliness of a product, such as its use rate of recyclable and reusable materials. Furthermore, we even satisfied the highest grade of the vertical combustion evaluation of UL 94, reaching V-0. UL 94 is a flammability test developed by UL, and the V-0 grade is only given to plastics that can be extinguished by themselves within 10 seconds after being combusted vertically.

Samyang Corporation plans to first apply its PCR PC to small appliances such as laptops and further expand to electronics and interior products, as well as apply the material to various plastic resins, including ABS and PBT.

CEO Kang Ho-sung stated, "you won't find a lot of places that can produce PCR PC with over 90% of recycled PC material while keeping the same properties as existing PC materials even if you look around the whole world," adding, "we will continue to make efforts to expand our high-quality and eco-friendly product lineup to satisfy the demand of the global market and contribute to our group's ESG competitive edge."

Meanwhile, Samyang Corporation established its mid-term to long-term growth plan, the "Vision 2025", and has been implementing "eco-friendly and specialized" business growth strategy. In July, the company developed a PC that is eco-friendly, transparent, and flammability retardant without adding flammability retardant materials and started producing and selling resin bases and compound products based on the material. Moreover, back in August, Samyang Corporation concluded a supply contract for plastic pellets made from recycled fishing nets, further expanding its eco-friendly business portfolio.

In November, Samyang Innochem initiated its full-scale business of eco-friendly plastic business through the construction of its Gunsan factory for the eco-friendly biomass material, the isosorbide, being the first in Korea with the capability to produce 15,000 tons every year. On the side of the packaging industry, the company invested 43 billion won to its Shihwa plant to equip a recyclable PET chip production facility with the scale of 21,000 tons, further expanding its plastic recycling business.