Preventing PET waste

New partnership to increase circularity 

On 29 February 2024, Landbell Group and CARBIOS announced an agreement to develop and implement solutions for the sorting, preparation and enzymatic recycling of post-consumer PET waste.

The two companies are combining their expertise and innovation to significantly increase PET recycling from packaging and textile waste.

CARBIOS is a pioneer in the development and industrialisation of biological technologies to reinvent the life cycle of plastic and textiles.

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.

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 – and will contribute 15kt/year of PET flakes to CARBIOS’ sourcing roadmap for its first commercial plant.

Through this partnership, Landbell Group will also ensure that problematic PET fractions such as multilayered, coloured and opaque trays from packaging waste and polyester textile waste are redirected towards recycling.

Commenting on the announcement, 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.”

Uwe Echteler, COO of Landbell Group continued:

“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 depolymerisation process developed by CARBIOS facilitates the recycling of PET waste into high-quality recycled PET.”

Find out more information here.