SK Chemicals' copolyester lines certified on carbon reduction

South Korea’s SK Chemicals Co. said on Wednesday it has earned sustainability certifications for its nine copolyester product lines from UL Solutions, an Illinois-based global safety science company.

Copolyester, a modified form of polyester, is used for environmentally friendly products such as bisphenol A-free plastics in cosmetics containers, food packaging materials and home appliances.

SK Chemicals has achieved UL environmental product declarations (EPDs) optimizations for its two polyester product lines, Ecotria CR and Claro CR. The two lines, alongside SK Chemicals’ other seven copolyester lines, have also earned EPDs.

The number of certifications it achieved through LCA is the highest in the global chemical industry, SK Chemicals said.

Both EPD and the stricter EPD optimization certify products' carbon emission reductions. The certifications are issued after carrying out a product's life-cycle assessment (LCA) in terms of environmental impact.

The two copolyester lines with EPD optimizations have been recognized to reduce 15-17% of carbon emissions compared with existing petroleum-based copolyester products, SK Chemicals said.

Ecotria CR emits 68% less carbon than existing plastics, SK Chemicals said. If 1,000 tons of existing plastics were substituted with Ecotria CR, it would reduce carbon emissions by 1,921 tons. This is equivalent to cultivating a forest the size of 1,304 soccer fields, the chemical firm added.

Write to Kyung-Min Kang at kkm1026@hankyung.com
Jihyun Kim edited this article.