Private equity firms from overseas are increasingly interested in investing in waste management companies in order to expand their presence in the environmental sector. For example, Swedish investment company EQT has announced its plan to acquire the local plastic recycler KJ Environment and its affiliates through a stock purchase agreement. With total assets under management of 246 billion euros, EQT aims to close the deal, reportedly valued at around 1 trillion won, within the year. KJ Environment is a significant player in the Korean plastic recycling market, with stable access to plastic waste feedstock and technology for producing advanced recycled plastics. In a separate significant development, Ecorbit, Korea's largest landfill company, is being put up for sale as part of debt restructuring. Potential buyers include American megabuyout fund Carlyle Group, a union of Singapore-based Keppel Infrastructure and Hong Kong-based Gaw Capital Partners, and a consortium of local investors IMM Investment and IMM Private Equity. Keppel Infrastructure, which previously acquired Eco Management Korea, is expected to explore a potential expansion of its business with an additional takeover following the acquisition of Ecorbit. The growing interest of equity funds in the waste management industry is attributed to the continuous growth of the sector and the focus of institutional investors on environmental, social, and governance impact.