Transforming Food Waste to PLA Bioplastic at Scale

Circular Economy Transforming Food Waste to PLA Bioplastic at Scale

2025-10-10 Source: Press release Sulzer 1 min Reading Time

Related Vendors

Sulzer Ltd.

Turck_Your_Global_Automation_Partner.jpg ()

TURCK GmbH

Italvacuum, Srl

ProMinent GmbH

Sulzer has partnered with Triple W to launch the world’s first PLA (polylactic acid) bioplastic made entirely from food waste.

With Triple W valorizing the food waste streams, Sulzer’s technology transforms the lactic acid into PLA bioplastic at scale, enabling the transition from an innovative pilot project to full industrial production. Supported by the Circle consortium, the global breakthrough marks a significant step forward in sustainable manufacturing for a circular economy, shares the company.

PLA bioplastics are already used in a wide range of sectors but can now be made from PLA derived entirely from food waste, reducing reliance on fossil-based feedstocks and helping to combat food waste. The new PLA is produced from food industry side streams — including bakery rejects and expired goods — transforming underutilized waste into high-performance bioplastics, adds the firm.

Supporting Triple W in the validation and scale-up of their lactic acid produced from food waste into PLA represents a unique milestone in PLA development history. Sulzer believes that the industry will benefit greatly from utilizing various feedstocks for biopolymers and it looks forward to the implementation of this process at greater scale.

This launch is a critical step towards increased bioplastic adoption in consumer branded products, and Triple W is excited to supply the materials needed for the transition to a truly circular economy.

Funded by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking, the Circle consortium aims to establish a fully integrated value chain for bio-based materials sourced from food waste by bringing industry partners together. With Sulzer’s process expertise contributing to its technical and commercial success, the revolutionary PLA bioplastic from food waste can now be used effectively by consortium partners and global brands to replace fossil-based materials in textiles, packaging and consumer goods, concludes the firm.

(ID:50587090)

Subscribe to the newsletter now

Don't Miss out on Our Best Content

Business E-mail

Please enter a valid mailadress.

By clicking on „Subscribe to Newsletter“ I agree to the processing and use of my data according to the consent form (please expand for details) and accept the Terms of Use. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy. The consent declaration relates, among other things, to the sending of editorial newsletters by email and to data matching for marketing purposes with selected advertising partners (e.g., LinkedIn, Google, Meta)

Date: 08.12.2025

Naturally, we always handle your personal data responsibly. Any personal data we receive from you is processed in accordance with applicable data protection legislation. For detailed information please see our privacy policy.

Consent to the use of data for promotional purposes

I hereby consent to Vogel Communications Group GmbH & Co. KG, Max-Planck-Str. 7-9, 97082 Würzburg including any affiliated companies according to §§ 15 et seq. AktG (hereafter: Vogel Communications Group) using my e-mail address to send editorial newsletters. A list of all affiliated companies can be found here

Newsletter content may include all products and services of any companies mentioned above, including for example specialist journals and books, events and fairs as well as event-related products and services, print and digital media offers and services such as additional (editorial) newsletters, raffles, lead campaigns, market research both online and offline, specialist webportals and e-learning offers. In case my personal telephone number has also been collected, it may be used for offers of aforementioned products, for services of the companies mentioned above, and market research purposes.

Additionally, my consent also includes the processing of my email address and telephone number for data matching for marketing purposes with select advertising partners such as LinkedIn, Google, and Meta. For this, Vogel Communications Group may transmit said data in hashed form to the advertising partners who then use said data to determine whether I am also a member of the mentioned advertising partner portals. Vogel Communications Group uses this feature for the purposes of re-targeting (up-selling, cross-selling, and customer loyalty), generating so-called look-alike audiences for acquisition of new customers, and as basis for exclusion for on-going advertising campaigns. Further information can be found in section “data matching for marketing purposes”.

In case I access protected data on Internet portals of Vogel Communications Group including any affiliated companies according to §§ 15 et seq. AktG, I need to provide further data in order to register for the access to such content. In return for this free access to editorial content, my data may be used in accordance with this consent for the purposes stated here. This does not apply to data matching for marketing purposes.

Right of revocation

I understand that I can revoke my consent at will. My revocation does not change the lawfulness of data processing that was conducted based on my consent leading up to my revocation. One option to declare my revocation is to use the contact form found at https://contact.vogel.de. In case I no longer wish to receive certain newsletters, I have subscribed to, I can also click on the unsubscribe link included at the end of a newsletter. Further information regarding my right of revocation and the implementation of it as well as the consequences of my revocation can be found in the data protection declaration, section editorial newsletter.