Byun Eui-hyun, CEO of Usisan, was inspired to start a business to clean up the ocean and protect the world’s largest animal from the dangers of plastic ingestion. Usisan was launched in Ulsan, South Korea in 2015 as a social enterprise, and was later chosen as a promising startup in a competition co-hosted by SK Innovation Co. In 2019, Usisan signed an MOU with SK Innovation and other parties, including the Ulsan Port Authority, to further the business.
Usisan takes plastic waste from ships and transforms it into upcycled products, such as T-shirts, towels, eco bags, umbrellas, industrial gloves, foldable carts, banners, panels, and plastic bottles. Recently, they have even upcycled COVID-19 cubicles into first aid kit cases. Byun hopes that Usisan’s business model can be a template for regional job creation, and currently employs 40% of its staff from among the elderly and those with developmental disabilities.
“We want to do a lot of activities to help the environment, and be a good example,” Byun said. “We’d like to make sure our company continues to grow in a way that would enable us to extend this model to other regions across the country.”