Published : Aug. 4, 2021 - 11:27
LG Chem officials celebrate the first shipment of its “bio-balanced” SAP at its plant in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province. (LG Chem)
LG Chem said Wednesday it has exported the first shipment of its “bio-balanced” superabsorbent polymer to Jordanian diaper company Baby Life.
The eco-friendly SAP, which can absorb water 200 times its weight, was manufactured at its plant in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, using plant-based materials such as waste cooking oil, the chemical firm said.
“LG Chem’s bio-balanced SAP is the world’s first SAP product that obtained the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Plus certification. Also, the bio-balanced SAP is the first product under LG Chem’s newly launched eco-friendly brand LETZero,” a company official said.
ISCC Plus is an international certification system that meets the European Union’s renewable energy directives, the most stringent standards in the world. LG says it serves as the major authority in identifying the sustainability of eco-friendly bio-balanced products.
LG Chem received Korea’s first ISCC Plus certification and has nine products certified, the greatest number among Korean companies. Within this year, the company aims to increase the number of ISCC Plus-certified products to more than 30.
“The first shipment signals the petrochemical industry’s full-fledged shift to eco-friendly products,” said Noh Kug-lae, executive vice president in charge of petrochemicals business at LG Chem.
According to a life cycle assessment verified by the Korean Society for Life Cycle Assessment, LG Chem’s bio-balanced SAP cuts greenhouse gas emissions 111 percent compared to existing fossil-fuel based products, after factoring the carbon absorbed by the plants that go into the feedstock.
By Kim Byung-wook (
kbw@heraldcorp.com)