Ulsan in South Korea has been announced as the location for Asia’s first recycling facility for polypropylene (PP) plastic waste.

SK geo centric (SKGC) and PureCycle Technologies will open the PP plant at the end 2024, which is expected to have an annual capacity to process 60,000 tons of plastic waste.

PP is a plastic used widely in consumer products, food packaging and automotive interior materials.

PureCycle uses proprietary technology to separate contaminants, odours and colours from PP plastic waste to transform it into ultra-pure recycled (UPR) plastic.

The technology can be used for commercial production and to recycle contaminated food storage containers, coloured detergent bottles and automotive interior plastic – which are mostly incinerated because they are difficult to recycle – into UPR.

SKGC produces PP and has technological capabilities and wide marketing reach in Asia.

The co-operation between the two companies will create a joint venture that will not only recycle plastic waste and provide South Korea with UPR but also be able to develop diverse consumer products.

Mike Otworth, PureCycle CEO said: “I’m thrilled PureCycle and SKGC are progressing toward opening a recycling facility in Ulsan over the next three years. Combining SK geo centric’s expertise and knowledge of the industry in South Korea with PureCycle’s patented technology that transforms plastic waste into a renewable resource, we can work toward tackling the plastic waste crisis that has impacted every corner of the world.”