Following the start of construction of the world’s first PET depolymerisation plant in France, Carbios continues to announce plans to licence its technology across the world.
After announcing plans for China and Turkey, the French biochemistry company has now signed a letter of intent with UK-based recycling and waste management company FCC Environment. The companies have agreed to jointly study the implementation of a UK-based plant using Carbios’ PET biorecycling technology.
The collaboration signals the interest of the waste management sector in Carbios’ technology, in addition to plastic producers, the company said in a statement.
“By creating value from waste, Carbios’ PET biorecycling technology is generating significant interest from waste management companies, proving that Carbios’ solution is relevant to both PET producers and waste management companies,” said CEO Emmanuel Ladent. “For Carbios, partnering with FCC means access to feedstock at the source through its established collection systems, enhancing the efficiency and impact of our sustainable waste solution. I’m confident that the combination of our complementary areas of expertise will benefit both our companies, and the acceleration of a circular economy.”
The plant would process PET waste that is currently not recyclable using conventional recycling technologies, such as coloured or multilayered PET, as well as textile waste. The companies did not disclose the capacity of the planned plant.
Carbios’ enzymatic depolymerisation process enables the efficient and solvent-free recycling of PET plastic and textile waste into virgin-equivalent products. Its plant in Longlaville, France, is likely to serve as a blueprint for its UK counterpart.
The French plant will also process about 50,000 tonnes of post-consumer PET waste per year, equivalent to 2 billion PET coloured bottles or 2.5 billion PET trays. The plot on which the plant is being built also offers space to expand the capacity in the future. The plant is expected to begin operations in 2026.