Yeosu Gwangyang port ocean bound plastic circular economy project

Plastics used in ships are occasionally dumped at ocean, or even if they are collected at ports, all of them are incinerated. YGPA crack down on plastic dumping at ocean and collect waste plastics from ships. And the plastics are processed into recycled polyester yarn. Since this yarn is made of ocean bound plastic, apparel makers rush to buy the yarn and make clothes with it. Through this project, we protect the environment and create added values and jobs in the process of recycling plastics.

Innovation Summary

Innovation Overview

YGPA started Yeosu Gwangyang port ocean bound plastic circular economy project in 2020. After that YGPA collected 247 tonnage bags of marine waste plastics from ship, processed them to produce yarn, and made many upcycling goods with this recycled yarn.

Every year, around 11,000 ships from all over the world arrive at Gwangyang Port. Plastics are recycled well inland, but on the sea it is very difficult to manage. So, plastics droped from ships have been incinerated or landfilled as they are mixed with general waste.

In addition, a cost for waste is incurred when the trash is transferred from ship to land. A significant number of ships dump trash at sea before entering the port to reduce costs. Therefore, international cooperation is needed to prevent marine waste plastics from dumping at sea and to collect them on land.

Dozens of sailors live on a ship, and once sailing, they have to live several months on the ship, and in the meantime, all the drinking water is PET bottle water. Therefore, thousands of bottles of PET are produced every month on ships. It is important to ensure that these PET bottles are not thrown into the sea, but instead enter the harbor as we do.

So, YGPA manufactured self-made sacks for waste plastic collection and distributes them to all ships entering Yeosu Gwangyang Port. Usually, when ships depart after entering Yeosu Gwangyang Port, they sail around the world and re-enter the port again one to two months later. At this time, they are loaded with waste plastics such as PET bottles in a bag we handed out.

(Prevention of waste plastic offshore dumping) YGPA is working with the coastal guards to crack down on ships from dumping wastes such as plastic at sea. To this end, we check the amounts of plastics, such as PET bottles, when the ship enters the port, and when the ship re-enters Yeosu Gwangyang Port a few months later, the amount of plastics discharge is checked again. In this process, if the amount of plastic discharged during re-entry is significantly less than the amount of plastic originally shipped, you may suspect dumping on the sea.

To protect the environment and create social value, YGPA has established the circular economy system for marine waste plastics.

Since 2021, waste plastics have been separated from the garbage in Yeosu Gwangyang Port. Plastics with high recycling value, such as PET bottles, can be reprocessed with polyester yarn. With this recycled polyester yarn, YGPA completed upcycling with 200 briefcases and 700 safe vests in cooperation with a local sewing company employing severely handicapped people. This process was an unprecedented attempt, and it has a significant effect on the environment and job creation, which attracted attention, such as being broadcast nationwide.

Thanks to this, YGPA started marine waste plastic circular economy business for the first time in korea.

For the first time in Korea, YGPA build a circular economy in the entire process, from the collection of marine plastics to sorting, crushing, washing, drying, recycled pellets, polyester yarn, bags and clothing production.

YGPA received OBP (Ocean Bound Plastic-Collector) certification through a renowned international certification organization related to the textile industry called Control Union. Through this, the waste plastics collected by YGPA can be recognized globally as marine waste plastics.

YGPA In collaboration with Hyosung TNC, a world-class textile manufacturer, commercializes marine plastic recycled yarn. Until now, Hyosung TNC has produced recycled yarns called Regen-Jeju and Regen-Seoul from waste plastics collected inland, but through collaboration with YGPA, they are able to make Regen-Ocean, the world's first recycled yarn using marine waste plastics.

Since this yarn is made from marine waste plastic, it is in great demand from large apparel companies. This is because it was difficult to collect marine waste plastics, so there was no supply of recycled fabrics using them. At the same time, consumers' demands for environmental considerations are increasing, and companies want to keep pace with them and make eco-friendly products. Naturally, recycled fabrics using marine waste plastics have become high value-added fabrics.

The marine waste plastics collected by YGPA become recycled yarns, and many of them will be made into products through clothing conglomerates, but YGPA still brings in a small amount of recycled yarns and collaborates with companies that hire people with severe disabilities in the region to make own products.

In 2021, a total of 247 tonnage bags of marine waste plastics were collected, and we plan to increase this to a total of 300tonnage bags in 2022.

Innovation Description

What Makes Your Project Innovative?

Before YGPA started the plastic circular economy business, waste plastic generated from ships was occasionally dumped on the sea, which was fatal to marine life.

YGPA cracks down on plastic dumping at ocean and collect waste plastics from ships. And the plastics are processed into recycled polyester yarn. Since this yarn is made of ocean bound plastic, apparel makers rush to buy the yarn and make clothes with it. Through this project, we protect the environment and create added values and jobs in the process of recycling.

And this project is a new project that has never been tried in any port in the world. This is because there are stakeholders such as the Port Authority, the Maritime Police, the shipping company, and the terminal operator in each port, but none of them are obligated to recycle marine waste plastics.

YGPA established marine waste plastic recycling economy, and through this, it is producing high value-added marine waste plastic recycling yarn.

What is the current status of your innovation?

When we first started this business in 2020, we collected 60 tonnage bags of marine waste plastics from ship, processed them to produce yarn, and made 200 briefcases and 700 safe vests with this recycled yarn.

Thanks to success, YGPA started marine waste plastic circular economy business in earnest in 2021. For the first time in korea, YGPA has built a circular economy in the entire process from the collection of marine plastics to sorting, crushing, washing, drying, recycled pellets, polyester yarn, products.

YGPA is the first in the world to receive OBP (Ocean Bound Plastic-Collector) certification from a renowned international certification organization related to the textile industry called Control Union.

YGPA In collaboration with Hyosung TNC, a world-class textile manufacturer, to commercialize marine plastic recycled yarn. In 2021, a total of 247 tonnage bags of marine waste plastics were collected, and in 2022, we plan to increase this to a total of 300 tonnage bags.

Innovation Development

Collaborations & Partnerships

Ships from all over the world: Ships don't dump waste plastic at sea and deliver them to Yeosu Gwangyang Port.
Ship waste collection companies: They sort out waste plastic from the collected waste. YGPA gives you some monetary incentives in the process.
Textile company: Hyosung TNC, a global textile company, takes the collected marine waste plastics and processes them into recycled yarn.
Clothing companies: They produce clothing from recycled yarn processed from marine waste plastic.

Users, Stakeholders & Beneficiaries

Through this project, waste plastic dumping by ships around the world is eradicated, which is beneficial to marine life. In addition, marine waste plastics discharged from ships are not incinerated, but are made of recycled yarn and sold to clothing companies at a high price, creating a high value-added business. In this process, a lot of jobs and added value are created from the waste. Through this, a sustainable marine waste plastics circular economy is built.

Innovation Reflections

Results, Outcomes & Impacts

Looking at the achievements of YGPA, when we first started this business at the end of 2020, we collected a total of 60 tonnage bags of marine waste plastics by ship, processed them to produce yarn, and made a total of 200 briefcases with this recycled yarn.

Thanks to this, YGPA started the world's first marine waste plastic circular economy business in earnest in 2021. In 2020, a total of 247 tonnage bags of marine waste plastics were collected, and we made 700 safe vests for worker who work in the port. in 2022, it is planned to increase to 300 tonnage bags.

YGPA In collaboration with Hyosung TNC, a world-class textile manufacturer, commercializes marine plastic recycled yarn. Since this yarn is made from marine waste plastic for the first time in the world, it is in great demand from large apparel companies.

Through this, we can not only protect marine life and the environment, but also create jobs by producing high value-added marine waste plastic fabrics.

Challenges and Failures

Above all, the process of collecting marine waste plastics was the most difficult. Although 11,000 ships arrive in Gwangyang Port from all over the world every year, all of the waste plastics discharged here are mixed with general waste and are incinerated or buried.

I had to find a way to recycle it, but I, as an employee of the Port Authority, couldn't even go out and do this. So, we decided to collaborate with a company that collects waste from ships arriving.

We gave this company a little monetary incentive and asked them to sort out the waste plastics from the collected waste, and the company was also willing to help out in terms of environmental protection.

And marine waste plastics classified in this way are being reborn as recycled sources sold at high prices. This process, YGPA has a wealth of experience, can be distributed to ports around the world, and other ports can be commercialized immediately without the initial difficulties encountered by YGPA.

Conditions for Success

The most important thing for this business to succeed is the will of the person in charge to protect the environment and create new value. In fact, this business is an unprecedented innovation and there is no reason no one will blame ports around the world for not doing it. However, if a port corporation such as YGPA pays a little bit of hardship and attention, this project can be executed immediately.

It is not a business that requires a lot of money, and it is possible with a little effort to connect the port ecosystem.

In the case of YGPA, in cooperation with the coastal guards, ships arriving from all over the world were prevented from dumping waste plastics at sea and collaborated with a cleaning company to sort plastics from the waste discharged from ships. We collaborated with a textile company so that it could be made from recycled fabric. This process did not require any institutional and financial investment. The effort of the person in charge was the most important.

Replication

Applied to all ports in Korea, and further spread to ports around the world: We are discussing ways to expand this project to ports nationwide with the government. Since the operating system of ports around the world is almost the same, the system that succeeded in Gwangyang can be applied immediately to all ports in Korea, and furthermore, to ports around the world without difficulty.

Applicable to everywhere: POSCO, a global steel maker, and LG Chem, a global petrochemical company, also participate in this project, collecting waste plastics generated in-house and participating in recycling. Also, local governments such as Yeosu City are participating in this project. Of course, the waste plastics collected by them cannot be used as marine waste plastics of OBP, but anyway, if these general waste plastics are not incinerated or landfilled in the conventional way and are recycled as general recycling fabrics, it will be of great help in protecting the environment and creating jobs.

Lessons Learned

Things like environmental protection, marine life protection, and innovation seem to have nothing to do with me and seem so difficult. I also did.

However, as an employee of the Port Authority, it was sad to see that ships around the world were dumping plastic waste at sea without permission to save the waste disposal cost when they entered the port and that these were lethal to marine life.

And even if these waste plastics were collected on land, they were still incinerated or buried and were still harmful to the environment, so I wanted to do something to fix them.

So, we created the marine waste plastic circular economy business. Through this, we can not only protect marine life and the environment, but also create jobs by producing high value-added marine waste plastic fabrics.

Anything Else?

It wasn't just to win an award that YGPA presented this project in the OECD Innovation Case.
This is because we want to inform the world about this marine waste plastic circular economy business through this OECD platform.

This business is not as difficult as you might think, and it doesn't cost a lot of money. Rather, you can even make money.

However, through this simple business, we can prevent waste plastic dumping by ships around the world and thus protect marine life.

And by using marine waste plastics discharged from ships, you can make high-value-added recycled fabrics and sell them at high prices, or let companies use them to make clothing. YGPA has a wealth of know-how and experience associated with this innovation.

And we will provide you with the manual for this project free of charge.