SK chemicals partners with Austria's Durmont to supply recycled PET materials for automotive carpets, promoting sustainability and circularity in Europe.
SK chemicals has taken a significant step forward in promoting sustainability within the European automotive sector through a strategic partnership focused on recycled materials. On June 25 (KST), SK chemicals officially entered into an Exclusive Partnership Agreement with Austrian automotive carpet manufacturer Durmont and logistics solutions provider Paarang. The signing ceremony took place at SK chemicals’ ECOLAB headquarters in South Korea.
Durmont, acquired in 2023 by the Visscher-Caravelle Group (VC)—a Dutch Tier 1 supplier with over 40% market share in Europe’s automotive floor mat segment—produces automotive carpet rolls for around 7 million vehicles annually. The VC Group supplies products to numerous leading European automotive brands. Paarang, a logistics and supply chain expert, will play a crucial role in ensuring efficient communication and operations between the parties, enhancing the overall reliability of the collaboration.
This partnership builds upon the successful co-development of yarns, carpets, and mats using SK chemicals’ chemically recycled PET (CR PET) material, known as SKYPET CR. These products have already met stringent automotive testing and performance standards. The formal agreement aims to accelerate the adoption and supply of these sustainable materials to global automotive manufacturers.
SKYPET CR is manufactured using SK chemicals’ proprietary chemical recycling technology, which breaks down waste plastics to their molecular level, enabling the production of high-quality recycled materials. Unlike conventional mechanical recycling methods, chemical recycling preserves the quality of the material even after multiple recycling cycles. SKYPET CR contains 100% recycled content and is certified by ISCC PLUS (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification PLUS), making it a fully recyclable and eco-friendly solution.
When used in automotive components such as carpets and mats, SKYPET CR enables the creation of a closed-loop recycling system, allowing materials to be depolymerized and reused after end-of-life. This system aligns with Europe's tightening vehicle circularity regulations, such as the End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) directive, which promotes sustainable disposal and recycling practices within the automotive industry.
SK chemicals plans to deepen its collaboration with Durmont and Visscher-Caravelle while also seeking to broaden partnerships with other major global automotive brands. CEO Ahn Jae-hyun emphasized that as Europe intensifies its focus on carbon neutrality, including through policies like the ELV directive, the demand for sustainable automotive materials will continue to grow. He reaffirmed SK chemicals’ commitment to supporting this shift using the company’s advanced depolymerization technology.
In addition, SK chemicals is bolstering its infrastructure to support recycling innovation. In 2023, it launched SK Shantou with a KRW 130 billion (USD 94 million) investment to establish the world’s first commercialized chemical recycling production facility. The company is also enhancing domestic capabilities by constructing a Recycling Innovation Center at its Ulsan site, including a pilot plant to produce recycled raw materials (r-BHET) through chemical decomposition of waste plastics.
