Kolon One & Only Tower (Kolon Industries) Kolon Industries said Wednesday it will begin commercial production of a low-carbon engineering plastic for medical applications, claiming a global first.The product, Kocetal ECO-E, is a type of polyoxymethylene, or POM, made using methanol derived from renewable energy. The company said it retains the durability, wear resistance and dimensional stability of conventional POM while reducing carbon emissions.POM is an engineering plastic widely used in precision components because of its low friction, resistance to wear and ability to retain its shape.Kolon Industries has been working with global medical companies to apply lower-carbon plastics to their products. It already supplies conventional POM for medical use and plans to begin mass production of ECO-E in the second half, with commercial shipments scheduled for the fourth quarter.The company plans to use the medical launch as a springboard for expanding its low-carbon engineering plastics into other high-value industries, including automobiles, electrical equipment and electronics.Its sustainable POM portfolio also includes ECO-B, made with bio-based feedstock; ECO-LC, produced with low-carbon feedstock; and ECO-R, which uses recycled materials.Kolon Industries has set emissions-reduction targets aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative and is improving energy efficiency while expanding renewable energy use at its Korean and overseas facilities.The company is also building a life-cycle assessment system to measure and manage emissions across its product portfolio.“The commercialization of ECO-E marks a significant milestone, as we will be the first to offer low-carbon POM in the global medical market,” said Harry Jung, head of Kolon Industries’ engineering plastics business division.“We will continue developing and expanding the supply of high-performance, low-carbon materials to meet growing demand from global customers.”