Circular Economy Carbios Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for World's First Pet Biorecycling Plant

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With a processing capacity of 50kt annually, the world’s first pet biorecycling plant will be developed by Carbios in France. Carbios’ enzymatic biorecycling technology will enable to produce Pet from its on waste rather than from oil.

Longlaville/France – Carbios recently celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for the world's first Pet biorecycling plant in the presence of representatives of local authorities, partner brands and industrial partners who all make up Carbios’ ecosystem. Located in Longlaville, in the Grand-Est region of France, Carbios' first commercial plant will play a key role in the fight against plastic pollution, offering an industrial-scale solution for the enzymatic depolymerization of Pet waste in order to accelerate a circular economy for plastic and textiles. The plant will have a processing capacity of 50kt/year of prepared waste when operating at full capacity. Work is progressing on schedule with significant quantities delivered to customers in 2026.

Pet, the second most widely used plastic in the world, is mainly manufactured from oil. Thanks to Carbios’ enzymatic biorecycling technology, Pet will no longer be made from oil, but from its own waste. This technological breakthrough opens up new recycling streams for multilayered, colored and opaque trays made from packaging waste and polyester textile waste, which until now have been little or not recycled at all, giving them value. In addition, this breakthrough positions France as a pioneer in green innovation, contributing to its reindustrialisation and leadership in the transition to a sustainable economy.

“A technological revolution is taking shape with the groundbreaking ceremony of Carbios’ plant in Longlaville: the world's first biorecycling plant. French pride! Ecological transition and growth, made in France and innovation go hand in hand,” shares Emmanuel Macron, President of France.

“At Carbios, we have turned a vision into reality with the groundbreaking of the world's first Pet biorecycling plant. Our revolutionary enzymatic depolymerization technology marks the beginning of a new era in plastic recycling, moving away from dependence on oil to a circular economy fuelled by Pet waste itself. Carbios continues its mission by collaborating with strategic partners around the world and embarking on a promising commercial and international deployment,” mentions Emmanuel Ladent, CEO of Carbios.

Carbios' technology enables Pet circularity and provides an alternative raw material to fossil-based monomers, giving Pet producers, waste management companies, public bodies and brands an effective solution to meet regulatory requirements and their own commitments to sustainable development. The plant will have the capacity to process 50,000 tons of prepared Pet waste per year (equivalent to 2 billion colored bottles, 2.5 billion food trays or 300 million T-shirts).

The plant will create 150 direct and indirect jobs in the region. In October 2023, Carbios obtained the building and operating permits for the site. The factory is currently under construction on land officially acquired from Indorama Ventures on 14 February 2024. In February 2024, Carbios and De Smet Engineers & Contractors (DSEC) announced their collaboration to manage construction. Several feedstock supply agreements, notably with Citeo and Landbell Group, will secure the vast majority of the raw materials required. Close to the borders with Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg, the plant's location is strategic for access to nearby waste supplies.

As part of France 2030, Carbios will receive grants totaling 54 million euros from French State and Grand-Est Region.

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