Chung Hyuk-sung, third from left, head of CJ CheilJedang's biomaterials division, poses with Kim Gil-sung, fourth from left, head of Seoul Jung District Office, at a signing ceremony marking an agreement under which the company donated 350,000 plant-based biodegradable PHA garbage bags to the district, in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of CJ CheilJedang
CJ CheilJedang, the main food and biotechnology arm of CJ Group, has successfully produced garbage bags made from PHA, a biodegradable material developed through the company’s fermentation technology, marking the latest expansion of its commercial use.
PHA, or polyhydroxyalkanoate, is produced by microorganisms that feed on plant-derived sugars such as those from sugarcane through a fermentation process. Unlike petroleum-based plastics, it biodegrades in both soil and seawater. Only a handful of companies worldwide can mass-produce PHA, and CJ CheilJedang is the sole domestic producer in Korea.
The new bags match conventional garbage bags in tensile strength while offering 1.8 times greater elasticity, allowing them to hold large volumes of waste without tearing, the company said.
CJ CheilJedang recently signed an agreement with Jung District office in Seoul and donated 350,000 bags in two sizes — 10 liters and 20 liters. The 10 liter bags will be used for road cleaning, while the 20 liter bags will be distributed to residents who bring recyclables such as cans and glass bottles to their local community service centers, a measure the company said is intended to encourage participation in resource recycling.
The donation follows a series of PHA commercialization efforts since the company launched its biodegradable materials brand PHACT in 2022.
Applications to date include cosmetic containers for the makeup brand Banila, packaging for Olive Young’s same-day delivery service, disposable straws for a major coffee chain and artificial turf infill for football pitches in Sweden through a partnership with the Swedish biocomposite company BIQ Materials.
In February, CJ CheilJedang also collaborated with Yuhan-Kimberly and Eugene Hanil to introduce a biodegradable reusable cleaning cloth made from a blend of PHA, PLA and pulp.
"It is deeply meaningful to replace widely used petroleum-based plastic films with eco-friendly materials through CJ CheilJedang’s unique technology," a CJ Cheiljedang official said.
Meanwhile, a Jung District official highlighted the importance of the partnership, noting that it brings sustainable solutions to public services. The official pledged to keep seeking out strategies that benefit both the local community and the planet.
Source: Korea Times News
