SEOUL, Sept. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean chemical company SK Chemicals Co. said Tuesday that it had teamed up with local toothbrush maker KNK to jointly develop the nation’s first toothbrush made from chemically recycled plastic material.
Chemically recycled plastic refers to the material that is made by breaking down and returning waste plastic into its pure, raw material form.
The newly-developed material would contribute to supplementing the weakness of existing eco-friendly toothbrush materials such as bamboo and biodegradable plastic, which tend to crack or crumble in a highly humid bathroom.
SK Chemicals commercialized chemically recycled plastic material last year and has been supplying it to the market.
The company is also engaged in the development of various containers and products after establishing a plastic circulation ecosystem in collaboration with a group of material producers, plastic molders and brands in June.
The development of toothbrushes made using chemically recycled plastic would be the first green design project of SK Chemicals’ business platform for a recycled plastic circulation ecosystem.
KNK is scheduled to market the toothbrush in January next year.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)