CJ Biomaterials, a division of South Korea-based CJ CheilJedang and leading producer of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), announced that it has partnered with the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the Korea Innovation Foundation (INNOPOLIS) to actively promote the development of environmentally friendly materials, including PHA technology.

The PHA product from CJ Biomaterials, PHACTTM, is a completely bio-based polyester made by fermentation. It is a sustainable material that can degrade in all types of biodegradable and compostable environments, including marine, soil, domestic, and industrial settings, and will aid in the solution to the problem of plastic waste.

The leading producer of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), CJ Biomaterials, a division of South Korean company CJ CheilJedang, announced today that it has joined forces with the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the Korea Innovation Foundation (INNOPOLIS) to actively promote the development of environmentally friendly materials, including PHA technology. The PHA product from CJ Biomaterials, PHACT, is a completely bio-based polyester made by fermentation. It is a sustainable material that can degrade in all types of biodegradable and compostable environments, including marine, soil, domestic, and industrial settings, and will aid in the solution to the problem of plastic waste.

Due to the requirement for separate plastic disposal and recycling systems, it was challenging to evaluate the compostability of biodegradable materials prior to the establishment of this consultant company. Now, CJ Biomaterials and other businesses affiliated with the Foundation are able to test their bio-based products in facilities for the treatment of food waste, determine how well they decompose, and, based on the results, earn certification from the Foundation. Participants can experiment with the methane gas that is produced when their environmentally friendly materials break down through their affiliation with the MSIT. This could lead to the development of a value chain that collects waste from restaurants, coffee shops, and movie theaters, processes it into methane gas, and then sells the gas to facilities that require it.

In this scheme, a dormitory at Incheon University will use gas. The Foundation may also suggest associated system changes and policy ideas hasten the adoption and usage of eco-friendly materials based on data that will be gathered through various R&D and verification processes.

Seung-Jin Lee, Head of the Biomaterials Business at CJ CheilJedang, said that this year, they are working with multinational corporations like NatureWorks, Yuhan-Kimberly, the Accor hotel chain, and beauty brand 'BANILACO' to expand the adoption of eco-friendly materials. They will work to increase the range of eco-friendly materials used in daily life by continuing to work with their industry partners and developing a variety of products that can satiate consumer demand for more eco-friendly products through this partnership with the Ministry of Science and ICT and their participation in the Korea Innovation Foundation.