Photograph) Panoramic view of LS Cable & System’s Gumi Plant


■ All business sites meet standards, a rare achievement in the cable manufacturing industry
■ Enhanced lifecycle waste management boosts resource circulation efficiency
■ Expanding industrial application of recyclable polypropylene-insulated cables following KEPCO pilot project


LS Cable & System announced on December 9 that it has become the first in the domestic cable industry to obtain Zero Waste to Landfill (ZWTL) certification from UL, a global safety science leader, for all of its business sites.

Achieving this standard simultaneously across all worksites is a rare accomplishment in the cable manufacturing sector, where the high usage of composite materials makes waste classification and recycling particularly challenging.

An international standard, ZWTL certification is awarded only to companies that divert more than 80% of total waste from landfills through recycling, reuse, or energy recovery. Notably, LS Cable & System’s Gumi Plant earned the highest-tier Gold rating for its resource circulation rate of above 95%, which far exceeds the requirement.

Cable manufacturing involves complex processes and diverse materials such as metals, plastics, and insulating oils, making the establishment of effective waste classification and recycling systems inherently difficult. 

Despite these structural complexities, LS Cable & System met the ZWTL criteria by standardizing waste separation protocols and recycling procedures at each site, and precisely managing the entire waste lifecycle, from generation to discharge.

In particular, synthetic resins such as HDPE and PVC, which are generated in large quantities during manufacturing, are notoriously difficult to recycle due to their material properties. LS Cable & System has significantly reduced the volume of waste sent to landfills or incinerators by improving classification accuracy for each material and by expanding the range of items eligible for recycling conversion.

LS Cable & System is also leading the industry in eco-friendly product development. Following the successful validation of its recyclable polypropylene-insulated cables through a pilot project with the Korea Electric Power Corporation, the company is expanding their application to various industrial sectors, including chemical and semiconductor plants and data centers.
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