DK&D to develop green artificial leather with Chinese partner

DK&D Co., a South Korean maker of synthetic leather, on Tuesday said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese eco-friendly non-woven yarn manufacturer Ningbo Hengqide Chemical Fiber Technology Co. on the joint production of artificial leather friendly to the environment.

DK&D will produce eco-friendly non-woven fabric by using eco-friendly sea and island yarn, or thread used as raw material for fabric, from Hengqide. The fabric produced will be used in the development of eco-friendly artificial leather with San Fang Chemical Industry, a Taiwanese company whose clients include global shoe brands such as Nike and Adidas.

The artificial leather developed by the two companies will be supplied to major San Fang customers.

Through this agreement, DK&D hopes for an early lead on the eco-friendly artificial leather market by enhancing its technological know-how and competitiveness by adopting green methods. It slashed its production period from ordering to output and delivery compared to its competitors for efficiency, and instead of using solvents that damage the environment like petroleum-based organic solvents, eco-friendly technologies using water are developed and used.

“As eco-friendliness and sustainability are hot topics in the global economy, we signed the MOU to meet our clients’ needs,” DK&D CEO Choi Min-Seok said. “We will strive to secure competitiveness in eco-friendly synthetic leather based on our technology and experience.”

Write to Kyung-Ju Kang at qurasoha@hankyung.com