- Highlight Zone showcasing product lineups tailored by industry drew strong interest

- Served as a forum speaker on chemical recycling capabilities and advancing the circular economy

SK Chemicals announced on October 17 that it successfully concluded K 2025, the world’s largest trade fair for plastics and rubber, which ran in Düsseldorf, Germany, from October 8 to 15.

Marking its fifth consecutive appearance since 2013, SK Chemicals operated its booth under the slogan “On-hand solution for a sustainable tomorrow” and conducted proactive outreach. Through co-exhibitions with brand partners and by serving as a forum speaker, the company further solidified its position as a global leader in recycling solution provider.

Under the themes Recyclable, Recycled, and Bio Solutions, the SK Chemicals pavilion welcomed about 7,000 visitors during the show, and the team held over 100 on-site meetings.

The on-site crowd favorite was the Highlight Zone, positioned at the front of SK Chemicals’ pavilion, which presented lineups tailored to each industry and featured circular recycling and bio products for key sectors such as automotive, cosmetics, food and beverage, and fashion. In particular, the “Recycled & Recyclable” material ECOTRIA CLARO CR showcased for the cosmetics sector drew strong attention.

Four cream containers with post-consumer recycled (PCR) content levels of 0%, 30%, 50%, and 70% were displayed in the pavilion. The company noted that the side-by-side comparison allowed visitors to see at a glance that transparency, durability, and other key material properties are maintained regardless of the PCR ratio.

SK Chemicals’ circular recycling technologies were also featured in the conference program held during the show. At the Bioplastics Business Breakfast forum hosted by Bioplastics Magazine, Hanns-Jörg Bentele, Executive of Recycling Marketing, SK Chemicals Europe, delivered a presentation titled “Driving Circular Process - Chemical Recycle PET Technology for a Sustainable Tomorrow.”

Bentele said, “Unlike mechanical recycling, which is used only in limited applications such as PET bottles, SK Chemicals’ chemical recycling based on depolymerization, which we have commercialized, can convert a wide range of waste plastics, including colored containers, films, and textiles, back into feedstock for reuse. It is, at present, the only recycling solution that can be applied across industries that demand high performance and quality, including automotive, home appliances, and fashion.”

The company noted that the session drew an unusual level of interest, with a steady stream of questions from global industry participants even after the presentation concluded.

Ahn Jae-hyun, CEO of SK Chemicals, said, “At K 2025, we saw stronger-than-expected interest from customers across automotive, cosmetics, food and beverage, and fashion, which confirmed the promise and potential of circular recycling technologies. We will accelerate our push in key markets such as the EU and further advance our depolymerization-based technology and product quality to lead the global recycled-materials market.”

[Photo caption: At K 2025, the world’s largest trade fair for plastics and rubber, held in Düsseldorf, Germany from October 8 to 15, SK Chemicals showcased fully commercialized end products made with circular recycling and bio-based materials.]

[Photo caption: At the Business Breakfast forum hosted by Bioplastics Magazine, Hanns-Jörg Bentele, Executive of Recycling Marketing, SK Chemicals Europe, delivers a presentation.]