Coca-Cola advances fossil-free PET production with hardwood bioplastic commercialization

19 Oct 2021 --- Coca-Cola is joining forces with Changchun Meihe Science & Technology and Finnish forest-based bioeconomy company UPM to convert upcycled biomass to plant-based monoethylene glycol (bMEG) on a commercial scale. 

Next to terephthalic acid (PTA), monoethylene glycol (MEG) is one of the two major components in polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the most widely used material for plastic beverage bottles. 

The biorefinery, located in Leuna, Germany, will ramp up production in 2023. “UPM has invested €550 million (US$641 million) in the biorefinery and we expect an annual production of renewable products of 220,000 metric tons,” Juuso Konttinen, vice president UPM Biochemicals, tells PackagingInsights.

“UPM’s biorefinery will be the first larger scale investment in renewable chemicals production in this sector from non-food feedstocks,” he adds.

The technology to produce bMEG is co-owned and co-developed by Coca-Cola and Changchun Meihe, now being scaled to commercial quantities by UPM. The Finnish company will also be offering commercial quantities of these biochemicals to “anyone in the industry.”

Plants at the plant
The Leuna plant will produce bMEG, alongside plant-based monopropylene glycol (bMPG) and lignin-based renewable functional fillers made from 100% certified hardwood, taken from sawmill and other wood industry side-streams. 

The biorefinery will produce bMEG, bMPG and renewable functional fillers.“bMEG can be used as a renewable alternative to produce PET, which could go in any PET-based packaging. As bMEG is a drop-in solution, it can be used in any application to replace conventional MEG and also works in all established recycling processes,” Konttinen explains.

He adds UPM’s products can be used in rubber, textiles and industrial fluids, targeting the automotive, clothing, household goods and cosmetics industries. 

“We are confident there is strong market demand for our products driven by global brands’ increasing focus on more sustainable material choices and a growing consumer demand for [environmentally] sustainable products.”

Selecting the trees
UPM’s products are made of beechwood, sourced from sustainably managed forests in the region around Leuna. 

“We only used certified wood with a traceable chain of custody. Availability is favored by the fact that the share of beech is growing in German forests as a consequence of the national strategy to transform forests to become more diverse in species and more resilient to climate change,” continues Konttinnen. 

However, industrial use of beech is limited, according to Konttinnen. He flags the additional growth of beechwood currently exceeds the growing demand. 

“On top of that, over 60% of beechwood currently harvested in Germany is used to produce thermal energy, mainly in private fireplaces. We thereby add a viable option for the industrial use of beechwood, supporting German forest owners in the transformation of their forests.” 

UPM’s products can be used in rubber, textiles and industrial fluids, targeting the automotive, clothing, household goods and cosmetics industries.From biomass to bottle
The process takes a sugar source and removes the step of creating ethanol as part of the conversion process to produce plant-based MEG. This means the process is “simpler than incumbent processes,” Coca-Cola highlights, and “provides flexibility in feedstock choice.” 

Coca-Cola has previously set the goal to collect a bottle or can for each one it sells. “We are working closely in parallel with our bottlers to drive down and eliminate the use of oil-based virgin PET from our plastic bottles,” says Daniela Zahariea, director of technical, innovation and supply chain at Coca-Cola Europe.

The FMCG giant aims to accelerate this ambition by increasing the use of recycled content and replacing some “virgin” materials with renewable, bio-based sources. 

“[These goals are] why we are investing and driving innovation to boost the supply of feedstock from renewable sources, in addition to our focus on sources derived from enhanced recycling technologies,” adds Zahariea.

Coca-Cola has pledged to be net-zero carbon by 2050. Through its World Without Waste strategy, the company recently announced a goal to use 3 million tons less of virgin plastic from oil-based sources by 2025.Over 60% of beechwood currently harvested in Germany is used to produce thermal energy, mainly in private fireplaces.

Its previous strides in eliminating virgin plastic from its portfolio include piloting paper-based bottles and launching paperboard multi-pack rings.

Concluding thoughts
Ultimately, recycling is the “main pillar” of environmentally sustainable packaging, Konttinnen maintains. “We see that an increasing share of renewable raw materials, such as the chemicals produced in our Leuna biorefinery, will make up for material losses in recycling or additional growth.” 

“This is a transformative process that will take time, but our investment is a first big step toward an increased availability of renewable raw materials for the production of virgin plastic.” 

“Technology development and market readiness have been factors impacting the timing of the decision and I would assume we will see further developments in the area of renewable chemistry,” Konttinnen concludes.

By Anni Schleicher