LG Chem and TK Chemical sign MoU for biodegradable plastics

LG Chem and TK Chemical have announced a memorandum of understanding to produce biodegradable plastics.

The companies plan to establish a production line for PBAT (Poly Butylene Adipate-co-Terephthalate), which is a petroleum-based synthetic plastic that can decompose naturally within six months if buried underground. It degrades quickly when reacting with oxygen, heat, light, and enzymes in nature.

The scale of production was not disclosed, but TK Chemical says it has a plan in place to start construction of a PBAT line based on its stable polyester facility operation capacities. LG Chem says it is looking to change its business to focus on more environmentally-friendly materials.

Kug Lae Noh, President of Petrochemicals Company at LG Chem, said that the company’s competitiveness has improved in the biodegradable plastics market through its collaboration with TK Chemical.

“We will pursue omnidirectional collaboration with various companies in the sustainability sector to continuously enhance our eco-friendly product portfolio.”