SK’s Recycling Commitment
Our Dedication to Advancing a Circular Economy
The world faces sustainability crises on numerous fronts––water scarcity, supply chain disruptions, increasing waste and pollution. By researching and investing in next-generation recycling solutions, SK is poised to lead the clean energy transition. SK has always maintained a “double bottom line” philosophy that equally prioritizes the interests of the company and the world, and shares these core values with an array of leaders in the US, where SK is investing $30 billion to create over 12,000 American jobs.
Plastics Recycling
The United States generates 300 million tons of garbage each year, less than 25% of which is recycled. To address the growing volume of un-recycled waste, SK Geo Centric was the first company in the world to secure capabilities for using pyrolysis technology, depolymerization, and solvent extraction––which make our ambitious goal of recycling 2.5 million tons of plastic waste each year and producing 100% eco-friendly materials by 2027 possible.
EV Battery Recycling
Recycling is essential to ensuring a secure supply of minerals for the batteries, as well as reducing the environmental impact of batteries. SK Innovation has already developed technology to recover lithium hydroxide from spent batteries, which can be used to create new ones. Battery recycling will also be a central piece of the historic BlueOvalSK, a joint venture between SK Innovation and Ford in Tennessee and Kentucky.
Water Recycling
As countless communities around the globe face severe water scarcity, SK is committed to leading by example and reducing its use of precious water resources through recycling. SK Hynix is already reusing nearly 80,000 tons of water per day throughout the semiconductor manufacturing process, while SK Siltron recycles nearly 95% of the slurry generated at its semiconductor wafer production facilities.
