▲ The exhibition hall of SK Geo Centric at Chinaplas 2023 held in Shenzhen, China from April 17 to 20.

SK Geo Centric (SKGC) is participating in Chinaplas 2023, which takes place at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center (SWECC) in Shenzhen, China from April 17 to 20 (local time). At the show, SKGC is unveiling its global business strategies that focus on high value-added chemical materials and the vision of becoming an “urban oil field.”

Chinaplas is a world’s leading plastics and rubber trade fair with the largest scale in Asia. With the main theme of “A Brighter and Shared Future, Powered by Innovation,” Chinaplas 2023 attracted more than 3,900 exhibitors from multiple countries, with the attendance of numerous global chemical companies like ExxonMobil and BASF.

Even though the company has attended multiple Chinaplas shows over years, Chinaplas 2023 marks SKGC’s first participation since its change of corporation name. Therefore, to effectively demonstrate the meaning of its new identity and business transformation, this time SKGC brought to the show multiple recent projects and products including the introduction of the Advanced Recycling Cluster (ARC) scheduled for completion in 2025, high-performance Ethylene Acrylic Acid (EAA), and the UD (Uni-directional) Tape that won CES Innovation Award Honoree at CES 2023.

 
| Discovering SKGC’s vision at Chinaplas 2023
 

SKGC’s booth stood out at the show, catching visitor’s eyes with a group of dazzling LED towers that show various technologies and products of the companies at the center of the open-space hall. These towers were designed with the motif of three major chemical recycling technologies for waste plastics and represent the concepts of “being Earth-centric” and the “urban oil field.” In particular, visitors are impressed by a video on the LED towers that represented an hourglass showing the whole process of how plastic were made from crude oil to how waste plastics can turn back into raw materials, making the earth gradually cleaner.

Explanations throughout the whole exhibition are delivered in paperless form through QR codes, a digital and eco-friendly trend to minimize waste. Visitors can also experience interactive exhibition zone and diverse events promotion at SKGC booth.

▲ The LED towers that demonstrate the concept of “being Earth-centric” and an urban oil field inside SKGC booth at Chinaplas 2023.

Across from the LED towers, visitors could check actual products that used SKGC’s recycled plastics. Displayed items included cling wrap, bags and fabric softener made from recycled polyethylene (r-PE), tennis clothing and water bottles made from recycled PET, and fridge storage boxes for vegetables made from recycled polypropylene (r-PP). These items represent the results of waste collected from cities being transformed into new products.

▲ Products that applied waste plastic recycling technologies SK Geo Centric has secured

 
| The technological prowess that will realize SKGC’s vision
 

At a touchscreen kiosk located in one section of the booth, visitors could learn about the three core technologies applied to the Ulsan ARC, the world’s first integrated waste plastic recycling complex that SKGC plans to establish in Ulsan, South Korea by 2025.

The Ulsan ARC combines three core technologies for waste plastic recycling: Ultra-Pure PP extraction Technology, which dissolves waste plastic in solvents to extract high-purity polypropylene (PP); PET Depolymerization Technology, which breaks down polymerized polyethylene terephthalate (PET) back into raw materials; and Pyrolysis and Post-treatment Technology, which converts waste plastic into chemical fuels. Once completed, the complex will be able to process approximately 250,000 tons of waste plastics annually.

On one side of the wall, there is an interactive corner that allows visitors to try operating the processes of the three core plastic solution technologies by turning a lever. Many visitors shared that they had fun experiences at this corner.

▲ The interactive corner that shows the plastic recycling technologies that SKGC has secured for the ARC

SKGC also showcased two other key products inside the booth: EAA (Ethylene Acrylic Acid), a core high value-added packaging material; and UD Tape, a high-performance lightweight material.

EAA is a high value-added chemical material that enhances recyclability compared to conventional chemical products and reduces the amount of plastic required to achieve the same level of functionality. It is primarily used as an adhesive for packaging materials, and currently very few global chemical companies, including SKGC, can produce it. Its applications are expanding in various industries, from sterilized packs and vacuum packaging for meat products to golf balls and tempered glass.

UD tape is a lightweight material used in applications such as aircraft and automotive parts, and made by which fibers are impregnated unidirectionally with plastics. Being recognized for its advantages, it was awarded the CES Innovation Honoree at CES 2023.

▲ (Left) Packaging products made of high value-added chemical products, such as EAA, which is considered an eco-friendly material that reduces plastic use and increases recycling rate / (Right) Lightweight materials for vehicles, including UD Tape, which can replace metallic materials, thereby improving fuel efficiency and contributing to carbon emissions reduction

To enhance visitors’ understanding, SKGC also held a live show, which repeats three times a day through WeChat, China’s largest mobile messenger. Through the live show, SKGC introduces multiple topics, such as recycling cluster development, chemical recycling technology, and high value-added chemical products. After each live show, visitors are served with shaved ice with red beans in paper cups coated with EAA to experience SKGC’s eco-friendly, high value-added materials in person. EAA paper cups are known to use less plastic compared to the commonly used LDPE paper cups and can be recycled more easily.

▲ A live show held inside SK Geo Centric booth at Chinaplas 2023.

CEO of SK Geo Centric Na Kyung-soo, along with numerous leaders and members of the company, including other overseas branches, are also presenting at SKGC booth at Chinaplas 2023. They are also taking part in business meetings with partners here and discuss the solutions to build plastic circular economy together, etc.

“It’s been four years since I attended Chinaplas, and the world has changed a lot since then,” CEO Na shared his thought. “Recently, many chemical companies have been focusing on the recycling business, but as for chemical recycling, SKGC is leading the field. I’m confident that we are on the right track, and we expect to be more distinguished in the future,” he added.