Repurposing Residue LLDPE into "Closed-Loop Trash Bag" by Chemicals Business, SCG

To maintain the company's ingrained commitment to the 2021 business direction toward "Chemicals Business for Sustainability" in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ESG standards (Environmental, Social, Governance), Chemicals Business, SCG, is confronted with new business challenges that will necessitate operational transformation in a range of contexts. One of them is circular economy-based plastic waste management, which entails putting plastic materials in a closed-loop until they can be consumed sustainably.

The Closed-loop Trash Bag project is the result of a collaboration between internal units and partner networks. It is yet another remarkable example of implementing the make-use-return paradigm tangibly, with the vision of delivering a model that can be expanded for broad advantages.

Begin with Local Matters
Recycling activities are carried out regularly and consistently on a circular economy basis within the plants operated by Chemicals Business, SCG. The Closed-Loop Trash Bag is an initiative designed to recycle linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) waste generated at the facility from pallet wrapping. These items were previously sold to retail recycling facilities.

Since December 2020, the Closed-Loop Trash Bag project has recycled an average of one ton of LLDPE, which is then used as plastic resins to produce high-quality trash bags for factory usage.

Expertise is Key
The team behind the Closed-Loop Trash Bag project underlines the significant role of Chemicals Business, SCG, as the region's leading material sciences specialist. The project team converts residual LLDPE film materials from packaging into recycled plastic resins and optimizes formulations to attain appropriate levels by combining them with crucial constituents such as plastic resins developed using SMX^TM Technology, a company's patent technology.

The effectiveness of such a formulation aids in the improvement of trash bag performance that fulfills practical needs. It can also reduce bag thickness by 30% while retaining strength, which is an excellent way to save resources and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 400 kgCO2e per year.

Collaborate to Achieve Great Success
Apart from being a project demonstrating the substantial benefits of circular economy principles, the Closed-Loop Trash Bag is another significant model that exemplifies SCG's fundamental premise of "Collaboration is Key." The team behind the project consists of staff from several units within Chemicals Business, SCG, such as Materials Management, Logistic & Admin Sourcing, and Circular Economy Business, as well as non-corporate partners such as TPBI, the key partner that shares a mutual commitment to the circular economy business.  The TPBI’s Won project will collect and transport the post-use plastic from the facility to TPBI. Using SCG formulations, the plastic will be recycled into recycled plastic resins and turned into trash bags.

The Closed-Loop Trash Bag is another key project from Chemicals Business, SCG, demonstrating the company's commitment to incorporating circular economy principles into all aspects of its operations. Furthermore, the project embodies corporate collaboration and network partnership, both of which assist in bringing the project forward and offering value to the public in a broad sense.