29. Feb 2024
CARBIOS and Landbell Group join forces to increase circularity of PET waste at first biorecycling plant
CARBIOS (Clermont-Ferrand, France), a pioneer in the development and industrialization of biological technologies to reinvent the life cycle of plastic and textiles, and Landbell Group (Mainz, Germany), a global operator of more than 40 producer responsibility organizations (PROs) and a leading provider of closed-loop recycling solutions, announce the signing of a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding for the sourcing, preparation and recycling of post-consumer PET waste using CARBIOS’ biorecycling technology at its first commercial plant in Longlaville from 2026.
The partnership will leverage Landbell Group’s expertise and network in the sourcing of PET packaging and textile waste which will be prepared for biorecycling. Thanks to CARBIOS’ highly selective enzyme, less sorting and washing is required compared to current recycling technologies, offering future savings in energy and water use. From 2026, Landbell Group will supply CARBIOS with 15 kt/year of PET flakes, ensuring a steady supply chain for sustainable PET production. These flakes will serve as essential feedstock for CARBIOS’ production of food-grade PTA and MEG, further re-polymerized into PET.
Through the partnership with Landbell Group in Germany, the supply of multilayer trays through the CITEO tender in France and the MoU with Indorama Ventures, CARBIOS will have sourced over 70 % of its feedstock required for the 50kt/year capacity when its first commercial plant in Longlaville, France, will operate at full capacity. Close to the borders with Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg, the plant’s location is strategic for nearby waste supplies.
Through this partnership with CARBIOS, Landbell Group will ensure that the problematic PET fractions such as multilayered, colored and opaque trays from packaging waste and polyester textile waste are redirected towards recycling. In this way, Landbell Group strengthens its commitment to the development of innovative recycling solutions to enable a circular economy.
Emmanuel Ladent, CEO of CARBIOS, said, “Through our new partnership with Landbell Group, CARBIOS secures a significant feedstock supply for our first commercial plant, and we are pleased to make biorecycled PET available to Landbell’s extensive client portfolio, powering a circular economy for plastic. CARBIOS’ innovative biorecycling technology enables the conversion of diverse wastes into valuable products, enhancing flexibility and competitiveness. By minimizing bottle usage and diversifying raw material sources, we’re advancing sustainability while meeting market demands effectively. Together, we’re forging a future where waste becomes a valuable resource”.
Uwe Echteler, COO of Landbell Group, said, “PET trays are extensively used in food packaging due to their excellent barrier properties, transparency and strength. However, PET trays, especially with a multi-layered structure, currently pose a challenge for mechanical recycling. The innovative depolymerization process developed by CARBIOS facilitates the recycling of PET waste into high-quality recycled PET. Landbell Group and CARBIOS together will enable closed-loop recycling of problematic PET waste to allow its customers – packaging manufacturers and brands – to use recycled content in food packaging and meet their sustainability targets”.
The environmental benefits of CARBIOS’ biorecycling technology
Recent life-cycle analyses[1] show a 57% reduction in CO2 emissions compared with the production of virgin plastic[2], and for every ton of recycled PET produced, 1.3 tons of oil are avoided. Compared with conventional recycling, enzymatic recycling is 5 times more circular (calculated according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Material Circularity Indicator[3]). Thanks to its highly selective enzyme, optimized for efficient PET degradation, CARBIOS’ depolymerization process can process all types of PET waste, including colored, multilayer or textile waste that cannot be recycled using current technologies. Furthermore, the two monomers produced (PTA and MEG) make it possible to recreate recycled PET products of identical quality to petro-sourced ones, and suitable for food contact. AT
[1] Database ecoinvent 3.8
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[2] French scenario, taking into account the detour of 50% of PET waste from conventional end-of-life. Virgin PET: 2.53 kg CO2/kg (cradle to gate)
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[3] The Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) is a methodology developed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to measure how restorative the material flows are. The MCI gives a value between 0 and 1 where higher values indicate a higher circularity. The MCI value for CARBIOS’ enzymatic recycling is 0.8.
www.carbios.com/newsroom