Carbios completes PET bio-recycling project with the French State

06 Feb 2023 --- Carbios has validated the final stage of its CE-PET research project, which lasted four years, and confirmed an enzymatic PET recycling process at the pilot stage to scale up to the industrial demonstrator, which has been operational since September 2021 – capable of processing plastic PET waste. 

The initial feasibility of the process, both environmentally and economically, has allowed Carbios to move further forward toward its industrialization, says the company.  

The French State supports the project as part of the Investments for the Future Programme – integrated into France 2030 and operated by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME). Carbios was coordinator alongside its academic partners INRAE3 and YWB4 – agricultural research units. 

“We have demonstrated our ability to enzymatically recycle complex waste to produce new bottles and fibers and have proven the robustness of our process,” says Emmanuel Ladent, CEO of Carbios. 

“The success of this project is a springboard for a sustainable future and an introduction of plastics and textiles into a truly circular economy. Carbios’ teams are very proud and grateful for the French State’s support throughout its development, from the research phase to industrial deployment.”

The French State is aiding the project to advance recycling in the country.Technical advances 
The main technical achievements of the CE-PET project are the development and optimization of an efficient enzyme for the depolymerization of plastic and textile PET waste. 

The replicability of the process performances at the pilot scale, the definition of the different operational units for the transposition of the process at the industrial demonstrator scale and the characterization and specifications of PET feedstocks that can be treated by the process.

Moreover, the production of bottles made of 100% rPET from plastic and textile PET waste, is suitable for food contact applications.

Lastly, the production of a white fiber made of 100% rPET from plastic and textile waste, including colored materials. 

For the validation of the whole project, Carbios will receive a total amount of €4,136,000 (€3.8 million ), of which €1,034,000 is grants and €3,102,000 in repayable advances.

This project was supported by the French State as part of the Investments for the Future Programme, now integrated into France 2030 and operated by ADEME.

Textile waste validation 
The other major success of the CE-PET project was validating the technology on textile waste at a pilot scale – “a considerable feat” – as textiles represent about 60% of the global PET market. PET bottles are the main raw material used to manufacture recycled polyester fiber. 

Being able to use Carbios’ technology on textile waste increases its application possibilities, especially in view of new European regulations on the separate collection of textile waste which will become mandatory from January 1, 2025. The inclusion of textile PET waste in the demonstrator will be carried out in 2023, notably within the framework of the “Life Cycle of PET" project co-funded by the European Commission.

“Carbios on the CE-PET project are a resounding success and a great showcase for the development of enzymatic recycling processes. These achievements are part of a long-standing collaboration,” says Isabelle André, research director at Centre national de la recherche scientifique.  

“All the research teams are proud to contribute to leading scientific advances for the sustainable and ecological management of the life cycle of plastics and synthetic textiles and to highlight biocatalysis.”

The last key step of the CE-PET project was approved without reservation by ADEME.

Carbios’ bio-recycling drive
In January, Carbios and Novozymes entered an exclusive long-term global strategic partnership to ensure the production and supply of Carbios’ proprietary PET-degrading enzymes at an industrial scale. 

“Strengthening the existing partnership paves the way for scaling up Carbios’ unique biological recycling of plastic waste, such as PET packaging commonly used in the food or cosmetics industry,” Carbios shared with PackagingInsights.

“For the packaging industry, Carbios’ technology is one of the solutions to meet regulatory directives, such as the EU Single Use Plastic Directive – a mandatory minimum target of 25% recycled content in new plastic bottles by 2025 and 30% by 2030.”

Last year, US-based startup Protein Evolution established what it says is the world’s first enzymatic plastic recycling business, landing initial funding of US$20 million. The group couples artificial intelligence (AI) with synthetic biology and maps tens of millions of enzymes capable of transforming plastic waste into reusable chemicals. This process can be infinitely repeated, it claims. 

Protein Evolution’s developments follow recent scientific breakthroughs in AI and natural science, for which numerous studies have shown enzymes can degrade plastics both in laboratories and in the natural environment. 

By Louis Gore-Langton

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