CJ CheilJedang Targets Global PHA Market Leadership Within Three Years

About a decade ago, the world was shocked by footage of a sea turtle suffering from a plastic straw lodged in its nose. This sparked global discussions about marine debris including plastic fishing nets and microplastics, raising awareness about the broader problem of plastic pollution.

"Governments worldwide are strengthening plastic regulations and companies are implementing ESG policies, driving rapid growth in the bioplastics market," said Chung Hyuk-sung, Head of CJ CheilJedang's BMS (Biomaterials) Division and CEO of CJ Biomaterials, in an interview with Seoul Economic Daily. "CJ CheilJedang's biodegradable plastic polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) is already gaining prominence in global markets, and we will achieve the top position in the worldwide PHA market within three years."

Bio-based biodegradable plastics are divided into PHA and PLA. Unlike PLA, PHA completely biodegrades in both soil and marine environments. However, only a handful of companies possess production capabilities, and prices roughly double those of PLA remain a barrier. "We are developing an innovative process that can dramatically reduce PHA prices to PLA levels and will announce this soon," Chung said.

Regarding this competitive advantage in innovative processing, he explained: "PHA shares process similarities with amino acids in that raw materials are fed to microorganisms and undergo fermentation. CJ CheilJedang has long operated amino acid businesses and holds the top position in scale, which translates into excellent PHA development capabilities."

CJ CheilJedang acquired intellectual property rights and other assets from U.S. biotech venture Metabolix in 2016. The company established a dedicated PHA production line at its Pasuruan bio-plant in Indonesia in 2021. In 2022, it founded U.S. subsidiary CJ Biomaterials to expand operations.

Global companies are actively adopting CJ CheilJedang's PHA. A prime example is artificial turf infill at Swedish soccer stadiums. Turf infill supports grass blades and absorbs impact to prevent player injuries, traditionally made from waste tires. With the European Union banning petroleum-based infill materials from 2031, PHA-based infill is gaining attention. "Europe alone has about 50,000 artificial turf soccer fields, with infill replacement occurring every four to eight years," Chung emphasized. "Full-scale replacements are expected to begin this year, opening a massive market."

Market expansion in Japan and the United States is also materializing. "We are collaborating with Itochu Corporation and will debut PHA products in Japan in the first half of this year," he added. CJ CheilJedang supplies PHA-based disposable straws, tableware, and containers to U.S. coffee chains and Korean beauty brands.

The company introduced PHA packaging for Banila Co's cleansing balm containers in 2022. In 2024, it developed PHA vinyl packaging materials for Olive Young's same-day delivery service "Today's Dream." It also created "Redual Toothbrush" using a PHA-PLA blend for handles and developed "compostable paper coating technology" using PHA for "Hetbahn Cupbahn" packaging. Partnering with Yuhan-Kimberly, CJ CheilJedang launched the industry's first PHA-based "washable biodegradable sanitary cloth."

Chung forecasted rapid PHA market growth. "PHA could capture about 10% of the global plastics market by 2050," he said. He explained that PHA replacement is essential for fishing gear and nets prone to ocean leakage, as well as mulching films buried in soil. Personal hygiene products contacting skin, such as diapers, also favor PHA conversion due to microplastics concerns. While PLA requires about 10 years to decompose in typical natural environments, PHA biodegrades within one year in environments containing microorganisms, such as soil and oceans.