‘A leap in eco-packaging’: LG H&H to mass produce cosmetic containers made from waste plastic oil from 2023

The company announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hyundai Chemical and Lotte Chemical to further eco-packaging ambitions.

Hyundai Chemical will manufacture eco-friendly plastics by introducing waste plastic pyrolysis oil as a raw material for the existing oil refining process. At the same time, Lotte Chemical will develop product lines that can be newly applied through the manufacturing and optimisation of eco-friendly plastic products that LG H&H will use for its products.

This way, the companies will be able to mass produce this material, which has obtained the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification PLUS (ISCC PLUS) certification.

ISCC PLUS is a sustainability certification program for bio-based and circular (recycled) raw materials for all markets and sectors not regulated as transportation fuels.

Waste plastic oil is derived by the pyrolysis of plastic debris, usually, plastic waste that is difficult to recycle – like waste vinyl and composite materials – at a high temperature of 300 to 500 degrees Celsius.

“The effect of reducing greenhouse gas emissions is very large in that waste plastics are reused as raw materials rather than incinerated. In fact, it was found that replacing plastic raw materials with pyrolysis oil from regular crude oil reduced greenhouse gas emissions by about two times,”​ the company claimed, citing Korea’s Ministry of Environment.

The company said this was ‘a leap in eco-packaging’ and claims it is the first company in South Korea’s cosmetics industry to use 100% waste plastic oil for cosmetic packaging.

“Even now, chemical recycling PET, which is partially recycled plastic bottles that have been used and discarded, is being used for bottled water containers etc, but LG Household & Health Care is the first to sell cosmetics in containers made using 100% waste plastic pyrolysis oil.”​

Testing the waters

The South Korean conglomerate has previously trailed the use of cosmetic containers made from this waste oil on two bestselling products under its eco-friendly beauty brand, Beyond.

These two products underwent safety evaluations which evaluated factors such as the strength of the containers and the presence or absence of harmful substances.

LG H&H said mass production is scheduled to begin in January next year and is actively planning to continuously increase the number of cosmetic containers made from waste plastic oil in the future.
The company’s long-term goal is to “establish a complete plastic circulation structure from the introduction of plastic raw materials to container production, disposal and recycling”.​

Previously, using plastic made from waste plastic oil was challenging as the end material tended to have impurities, and there were regulations against the use of pyrolysis oil.

Today, however, a post-treatment has been developed to remove said impurities and regulations have changed to allow manufacturers to make material from waste plastic oil.