■ To recycle not only paper materials but also composite material, establishing a resource circulation system in a broader range

– Aim to recycle 3,000 tons of composite materials and reduce 19,000 tons of CO₂ annually

■ “A groundbreaking progress in the industry to build consensus and cooperate on the issue of aseptic carton recycling”

SK Global Chemical, Maeil Dairies, Tetra Pak Korea, and Jushin Trading have decided to team up to be the first in Korea to recycle aseptic cartons by extracting plastics and aluminum composite materials (hereinafter composite material). This composite material is widely used in containers that require long shelf life, such as aseptic cartons for milk or juice, for its excellent oxygen- and ultraviolet light -blocking properties.

Each company is representing a significant role in the entire process of the industrial ecosystem, from material production, product manufacturing & distribution, to B2B. Therefore, their collaboration is expected to have a strong influence over establishing a plastic waste recycling ecosystem in the near future.

On the 6^th, these four companies signed an MOU at SK Building located in Seoul, Korea. The signing ceremony was attended by Vice President of Maeil Dairies Cho Sung-hyung, Vice President of Tetra Pak Korea James Oh, CEO of Jushin Trading Lee Dong-gyu, Head of SK Global Chemical’s Green Business Group Kang Dong-hoon.

The four companies agreed to join this cooperation to open the ways for recycling composite material in aseptic carton wastes, thereby building a broad range of resource circulation systems. The project is expected to recycle 3,000 tons of composite material and reduce 19,000 tons of CO₂ per year when it is completed. This figure is equivalent to planting 250 thousand trees.

The aseptic carton is a widely used material for storing various beverages such as milk. As it completely blocks light and oxygen, it facilitates the distribution and storage of foods. For this reason, the global demand for aseptic cartons is rapidly on the rise, especially in the distribution industry. Tetra Pak is the no. 1 manufacturer of aseptic cartons in the world and accounts for 75% of the distribution volume of domestic aseptic cartons. Maeil Dairies is the biggest buyer of the product in Korea.

So far, as aseptic cartons are made from paper and composite material, it is difficult to recycle each material. The paper materials from aseptic carton waste have been recycled and used as kitchen towels or hand towels. However, the composite materials were only incinerated or landfilled. Therefore, through this cooperation, the participating companies can help recycle aseptic cartons 100%, mitigating the environmental pollution caused by incineration and landfill.

This MOU assigns different responsibilities to the participants. Maeil Dairies will develop and operate an aseptic carton collection program, and consider adopting boxes made up of composite materials for delivering food and beverages. Meanwhile, Tetra Pak Korea is in charge of providing recycling facilities for the selection and separation of aseptic cartons. Jushin Trading will recycle paper obtained from waste aseptic cartons, collect and supply the by-product, composite materials to SK Global Chemical. The SK Global Chemical will use the supplied composite material to develop recycled plastics such as pallets, food/beverage transport boxes, etc.

Representative from the four companies shared that, “We believe our collaboration underscores a great stride in the relevant industry, as we aware of the fundamental problem of recycling aseptic cartons, which are widely used in our daily life.” “We will create an ecosystem for recycling aseptic cartons by enforcing cooperation between companies.”

“SK Global Chemical will provide a technology-based solution for its diverse business partners to be involved in green businesses, accelerating the establishment of the plastic waste circulation system,” said Kang Dong-hoon, Head of SK Global Chemical’s Green Business Group.

[Photos]

(Photo 1, 2): From left – Vice President of Tetra Pak Korea James Oh, Head of SK Global Chemical’s Green Business Group Kang Dong-hoon, Vice President of Maeil Dairies Cho Sung-hyung, CEO of Jushin Trading Lee Dong-gyu represent four companies to sign the MOU on May 6^th at SK Building in Seoul, Korea

(Photo 3) SK Global Chemical employees show the samples of recycled aseptic cartons materials

(Photo 4) The samples of recycled aseptic cartons materials

(Photo 5) The samples of pallets made from recycle recycling aseptic cartons are being transported inside SK Global Chemical’s warehouse.