Recently, a French company named CARBIOS breaks ground on the world's first PET biorecycling facility, poised to transform the PET recycling landscape. Given this material's widespread use in global packaging, the company is undertaking this endeavor to recycle PET, which aims to foster sustainability.
(Photo : Pexels/Aleksandar Pasaric )
Construction of PET Biorecycling Plant
CARBIOS, a company specializing in the development of biological technology, has achieved a key milestone by constructing what it claims to be the industry's first biorecycling plant for polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This plant, located in Longlaville in the Grand-Est area of France, is capable of processing 50,000 tons per annum of PET trash produced while running at its maximum capacity.
The factory is in a favorable location close to the borders of Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg, allowing for convenient access to waste sources. Thus, it is anticipated that the bulk of the necessary raw materials will be secured through several feedstock supply agreements, most notably with CITEO and Landbell Group, owner of the UK compliance scheme ERP.
Accordingly, CARBIOS established an industrial demonstration facility in September 2021 to evaluate the enzymatic depolymerization process's technical, environmental, and economic performance. Within October 2023, CARBIOS successfully acquired the appropriate building and operating permits for the location, and they collaborated with De Smet Engineers & Contractors to oversee the construction process.
In addition, on February 14, 2024, the land used for the factory was formally purchased from Indorama Ventures, and development is presently underway. Nevertheless, by the year 2026, the company anticipates that the factory will have accomplished the delivery of considerable quantities to clients.
On the other hand, PET production, reportedly known as the second most extensively used plastic in the world, is mainly accomplished through oil. Luckily, the enzymatic biorecycling technique developed by CARBIOS will allow PET to be manufactured not from oil but from the trash it generates. This technological advancement presents novel avenues for recycling multilayered, opaque, and colored containers manufactured from polyester textile and packaging waste, which were previously recycled minimally or not at all; thus, they retain value.
Additionally, this discovery establishes France as a leader in environmentally friendly innovation, which contributes to the country's reindustrialization and places it at the forefront of the transition to a sustainable economy.
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Project's Grants
France 2030, a significant national investment initiative to assist companies, colleges, and research institutions in responding effectively to environmental issues, involves CARBIOS. As mentioned, the company will be supported in its endeavors by grants amounting to €54 million or almost $58 million from the French State and Grand-Est Region as an integral component of this initiative.
In addition, CARBIOS has worked with several brands on the initiative. These brands include CITEO, L'Oréal, L'Occitane en Provence, PUMA, Suntory Beverage and Food Europe, Novonesis On, and Salomon. Philippe Pouletty, the founder of CARBIOS and the chairman of the board of directors, provided his unique perspective during the recent groundbreaking ceremony. He claimed that they can contribute to the preservation of the planet through science, devoted teams, funding from both the private and public sectors to handle industrial and commercial difficulties, and strong collaborations.
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