LG Chem supplying eco-friendly plastic to Mattel as it launches Asia’s first plant-based ABS

LG Chem unveiled its ABS made from vegetable raw materials and revealed it would supply this plant-based plastic to Mattel, which will be its first customer for this product. The launch of this new acrylonitrile butadiene styrene product makes it the first of its kind in Asia.

LG Chem revealed its new plant-based plastic on Sunday, Dec. 4. The South Korean petrochemical firm also confirmed that the first batch is set to be delivered to the American toymaker, Mattel.

ABS is a rigid thermoplastic polymer that can resist high heat temperature and impact and LG Chem is the leading manufacturer of ABS products which makes up nearly 20% of its total chemical business sales, as per The Korea Herald. The company is capable of producing 2.4 million tons of this type of plastic annually.

Then again, with the creation of this plant-based ABS, LG Chem significantly lowered carbon emissions throughout the process of production and distribution. The emissions are a lot lower compared to regular ABS products thus, the plant-based version was easily granted the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Plus.

ISCC Plus is a global certification for eco-friendly materials, and LG Chem is the first to receive it in Asia. This grants the company permission to sell eco-friendly products approved according to the international standards in the ABS industry.

The new LG Chem plant-based ABS plastic can be shaped into anything as per the request of customers. It can also come in different colors and use as materials for plastic products, including toys, construction materials, household appliances, and even parts for automobiles.

The company said the introduction of its plant-based ABS plastic is part of its long-term sustainability effort to reach net zero emissions by the year 2050. The efforts are being made amid the growing calls for environmental, social and governance endeavors across industries.

“We will lead the market and provide an opportunity for valuable consumption to customers to think about the environment with sustainable materials around eco-friendly products,” Roh Kug Lae, LG Chem’s president, stated in a press release.