SK chemicals is planning to reduce the use of plastics and protect the environment by making takeout cups with ECOZEN so that they can be used multiple times unlike disposable plastics that are used once and discarded. 5,000 Dodori cups used in this project are made from Ecozen. Ecozen uses plant-derived ingredients with superior heat resistance, contamination resistance to undiluted solutions like coffee, oranges and lemons, and chemical resistance compared to existing copolyester SKYGREEN products.
Also, since there is no concern of exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalate plasticizers, classified as environmental hormones, the material complies with all requirements for food contact materials at home and abroad. ECOZEN is ideal for use in electronic products, food containers, and baby products.
The Dodori cup made from Ecozen contains the hope that it will come back like the repeat sign (dodoripyo) in music, benefit the environment and our lives, and that the resource circulation will continue happily like a sing-along. UBC, SK chemicals, and local cafes have prepared for store operation without disposable cups, and since the 23rd of last month, 33 stores in Ulsan have been offering drinks in Dodori cups. In this system, customers who purchase drinks at a store pay a deposit of KRW3,000, receive a drink in a Dodori cup, use it for takeout, return the cup to the participating cafe, and receive a refund of the deposit.
In Freiburg, an eco-friendly city in Germany, 70% of the cafes participate in the disposable cup deposit service Freiburg Cup, and the return rate is about 85%. For the success of the Dodori cup project, UBC plans to broadcast the entire consultation process with local cafes, citizen participation, and cup-making as a regular program, Earth Talk in the Era of the Environment, and continue the campaign to increase the number of participating cafes.
"In addition to plastic recycling, the importance of Reduce, meaning a reduction in the use of disposable products and an increase in the use of reusable products, is increasing for the sake of environmental protection," said Kim Eung-soo, head of SK chemicals' copolyester business unit. "We will continue our commitment to solving the problem of disposable plastic containers by helping the industry switch to the excellent physical properties of ECOZEN."