Meet Vary Tech at RETECH 2026: Advanced Plastic-to-Oil Solutions

The Strategic Shift: From Waste to National Energy Asset

The convergence of global carbon‑neutrality commitments and mounting geopolitical supply‑chain risks has pushed waste‑plastic chemical recycling far beyond the environmental agenda—it is now a strategic pillar of national energy security.

South Korea recently submitted its Plan for Accelerating the Transition to a Circular Economy Without Plastic Waste, setting ambitious 2030 targets:

• Raise the share of recycled materials to 30%

• Cut consumption of naphtha‑based virgin plastics by more than 30% below projected baseline levels

For a country that imports nearly all its fossil fuels, waste plastics are no longer just garbage—they are an “urban mine” of strategic value. Converting discarded plastics into high‑grade pyrolysis oil and chemical feedstock through advanced pyrolysis does double duty: it fights plastic pollution while buffering against crude‑oil price shocks from the Middle East. In short, it is a matter of both environment and energy independence.

Policy Push + Regulatory Ease: Korea’s Two‑Track Approach

Chemical recycling of waste plastics is still an emerging industry, and new technologies often stall over missing standards and regulatory hurdles. To turn its transition plan into reality, the Korean government is deploying a two‑track strategy: funding innovation and removing red tape.

• Heavy R&D and Equipment Investment

  • A supplementary budget of KRW 13.8 billion has been allocated specifically to upgrade recycling‑equipment infrastructure.
  • Separately, a KRW 254 billion special project is targeting breakthrough technologies—with a strong focus on pyrolysis‑to‑oil processes.
• Ulsan Regulatory Free Zone for Recycled Carbon Fuels
  One of the biggest bottlenecks for pyrolysis oil has been the absence of standardised quality certification. To break this deadlock, the government has designated Ulsan as a Regulatory Free Zone for Recycled Carbon Fuels (formal designation procedures begin in 2026). Working alongside SK Geo Centric, HD Hyundai Chemical and other industry partners, the zone will run full‑value‑chain demonstration projects—from waste plastics all the way to low‑carbon chemical products.

• Certification & Mandated Demand
  The mass balance approach and supporting certification frameworks have been introduced. Public procurement will be expanded to create stable demand, and by 2030, PET bottles will be required to contain at least 30% recycled content.
  

Big Refiners Move In: Chemical Recycling Goes Commercial

Driven by policy direction and supply‑chain uncertainty, Korea’s refining giants are committing real capital to chemical recycling. LG Chem, SK Chemicals and GS Caltex are all moving to produce in‑house pyrolysis oil and downstream petrochemicals—transforming themselves from traditional refiners into high‑value, low‑carbon industrial players.

Pilot Projects Across the Board

• Seoul Metropolitan Government has joined forces with four major refiners and petrochemical companies to pilot the conversion of contaminated plastic bags into pyrolysis oil at temperatures between 300°C and 800°C.

• SK Chemicals has built Korea’s first chemical‑depolymerisation pilot facility in Ulsan, with an annual processing capacity of 50 tonnes of waste plastics.

A Market Poised for Take‑Off
The global plastic‑recycling market is growing at 8.1% annually and is projected to exceed USD 120 billion by 2030. According to the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, the domestic Korean market alone will expand from KRW 1.67 trillion in 2019 to KRW 2.85 trillion by 2027.

Where China‑Korea Technology Synergy Creates a Competitive Edge

As Korea scales up its chemical‑recycling pilots, one thing is clear: reliable, proven processing equipment is the foundation for both economic scale and consistent product quality. This creates a strong opening for environmental‑technology companies with world‑class manufacturing and real‑world operating experience.

Vary Tech— a leading player in solid‑waste resource recovery — brings nearly two decades of hands‑on expertise in pyrolysis, backed by its own operating plants. A single integrated pyrolysis train can process up to 150 tonnes of mixed waste plastics per day. Core proprietary technologies include flexible multi‑stage sealing, continuous feeding and discharging, and high‑efficiency quench three‑phase separation—enabling stable operation for over 8,000 hours per year.

To date, Vary Tech has delivered more than 100 complete organic‑waste pyrolysis systems to customers worldwide, with projects in South Korea, Japan, Brazil, India, Malaysia and beyond.

Vary Tech’s Track Record in Korea (2023–Present)

Strategic Outlook

The strategic importance of plastic‑to‑oil pyrolysis now extends far beyond waste management. With Korea’s policy environment turning fully green, refiners placing substantial bets, and advanced pyrolysis technologies from both countries coming together, chemical recycling is poised to reshape Korea’s refining industry—and unlock substantial value in the global green‑economy arena.

Meet Vary Tech at RETECH 2026 — Let’s Turn Plastic Waste into Profit

From 2–4 September 2026, Vary Tech will showcase its complete technology and equipment solutions for waste‑plastic chemical recycling at RETECH 2026—Korea’s premier exhibition for waste, resource recycling and environmental technology.

We invite you to visit Booth 135, Hall 7, KINTEX Exhibition Center II, Goyang City, to meet our technical experts face‑to‑face. Let’s discuss practical, low‑carbon, high‑efficiency pathways to monetise solid waste—and explore how we can build a profitable chemical‑recycling project together in Korea.

We look forward to seeing you there.