SK chemicals has officially secured verification that its copolyester ECOTRIA CLARO and PET-based SKYPET product families are completely compatible within the European PET recycling stream. The European recycling assessment body, RecyClass, recognized these plastic materials as recyclable, verifying their viability from the initial material design stage. RecyClass operates as a non-profit, cross-industry initiative dedicated to advancing the circular economy for plastics across Europe by evaluating recyclability through strict protocols and design guidelines.
In alignment with the RecyClass framework, SK chemicals attained Technology Approval (TA). This RecyClass assessment acts as a crucial benchmark, verifying that materials introduced into actual recycling processes function reliably as recycled feedstock without causing operational disruptions.
Using unverified materials as feedstock for post-consumer recycled plastics can lead to severe process disruptions or quality degradation, which ultimately impedes actual recycling operations. By securing this approval, SK chemicals verified the practical value of its diverse polyester portfolio—ranging from virgin to recycled copolyesters and PET—as dependable recycled feedstock.
The packaging industry increasingly acknowledges that while measuring the percentage of recycled feedstock within a product is important, evaluating whether discarded waste plastics can be successfully processed back into raw feedstock is equally critical. For instance, a container made with 100% recycled PET fails to support a continuous circular structure if process-related issues prevent it from being recycled again, leading to landfill disposal. Therefore, a sustainable ecosystem requires plastic materials to both incorporate recycled content and remain fully recyclable.
Ahn Jae-hyun, CEO of SK chemicals, emphasized that the recent verification serves as an official endorsement of the company’s materials acting as sustainable feedstock.
“This verification is an official endorsement of our materials’ circularity as feedstock, which represents one pillar of the complete circular structure we are building,” Ahn stated. “To establish a sustainable circular economy, we will continue to accumulate technical expertise in recycling and strengthen our competitiveness across the entire process, from feedstock to commercialization, while expanding collaboration with European customers and other stakeholders.”
The recent RecyClass assessment evaluated seven distinct products from the company’s portfolio. Five copolyester products from the ECOTRIA CLARO family—specifically ECOTRIA CLARO 100, 200, 300, 100 CR50N, and 200 CR50N—achieved the Full Compatible grade. This grade confirms they can be processed together within the PET recycling stream without any restrictions across the entire workflow. These materials are currently utilized in the manufacturing of various cosmetic and large-volume containers.
Additionally, two general-purpose SKYPET products, SKYPET BR and SKYPET BR-V, attained the Limited Compatible grade, establishing that they are recyclable under specific process conditions.
This recent validation follows a previous milestone achieved last year when SK chemicals secured the highest Class A rating from RecyClass. The company received a Letter of Compatibility (LoC) for a PET bottle manufactured with SKYPET CR, its circular-recycled PET integrating SKYPET CR BB and SKYPET CR BL. That prior evaluation verified that the container’s structural design was compatible with existing recycling infrastructure, ensuring it could be processed without issues during active recycling operations.
