A partnership between Nestlé Waters, PepsiCo and Suntory Beverage & Food Europe have been announced to support a “breakthrough” enzyme-based recycling technology that is claimed to be able to recycle much broader PET plastics and polyester fibers feedstock than other recycling technologies.
Carbios, and beauty brand L’Oréal, are pioneering new, bio-industrial solutions to reinvent the lifecycle of plastic and textile polymers.
Nestlé Waters, PepsiCo and Suntory Beverage & Food Europe have joined the consortium to support the circular plastics economy.
The Carbios technology uses highly specific enzymes that can recycle much broader PET plastics and polyester fibers feedstock than other recycling technologies, it says.
This process creates recycled PET, equivalent to virgin PET, that can be used for applications like bottles and other forms of packaging, Carbios says.
Simon Lowden, President of Global Foods at PepsiCo – “The Consortium offers us the opportunity to accelerate the development of this promising enzymatic recycling technology which, alongside mechanical and chemical recycling, can move us closer to a circular economy for plastics.”
Carbios and L’Oréal previously founded the Consortium to bring enhanced recycling technology designed and developed by Caribos to market on an industrial scale.
Under the terms of the four-year agreement, the Consortium partners’ ambition is to bring Carbios’ PET-enhanced recycling technology to the market and increase the availability of high-quality recycled plastics to fulfill their sustainability commitments. The collaboration includes technical milestones and support for the efficient supply of consumer-grade, 100% recycled PET plastics for global markets.
Jean-Claude Lumaret, CEO of Carbios, explains: “We are thrilled to welcome Nestlé Waters, PepsiCo and Suntory Beverage & Food Europe into the Consortium we have created with L’Oréal. Their contribution will accelerate our common ambition and help to industrialize our recycling technology, which brings a breakthrough solution in the treatment of plastic waste.”
Simon Lowden, President of Global Foods at PepsiCo adds: “PepsiCo is striving for a world where plastics need never become waste. Achieving that requires collaborative efforts to drive transformative change across the packaging lifecycle. The Consortium offers us the opportunity to accelerate the development of this promising enzymatic recycling technology which, alongside mechanical and chemical recycling, can move us closer to a circular economy for plastics.”
Breaking down PET
Carbios has developed an innovative process that breaks down PET plastic waste into its original building blocks, which can be used to produce high-quality PET plastic. This patented technology offers the potential to recycle PET plastics repeatedly and pave the way for 100% recycled PET content in new products. In fact, Carbios recently achieved a world first using its enzymatic technology to create PET bottles from 100% recycled plastics.
This biological approach can handle all forms of PET plastics (clear, colored, opaque and multilayer) and polyester fibers. The process requires limited heat and no pressure or solvents, which improves its environmental impact, and also provides a competitive solution to increase global plastic recycling rates.
By creating a circular economy from used plastics and fibers, Carbios’ enhanced recycling technology brings forward a sustainable and responsible solution.
Philippe Thuvien, Packaging & Development Vice-President at L’Oréal, noted: “We are convinced that Carbios’ technology is a new step forward, in addition to the mechanical and chemical recycling that contribute to reaching our 2025 goals: 50% of our products’ plastic components is recycled or bio-sourced. We are convinced that by working together with our partners, we will succeed in creating a more sustainable world based on circular economy principles.”
Roberto Vanin, Chief R&D Officer Suntory Beverage & Food Europe, concludes: “Addressing the global issue of plastic waste requires large scale collaboration, innovative thinking and investment in new and ground-breaking technologies.
“We are delighted to partner with Carbios to drive real action to tackle plastic waste. Their innovative approach to enzymatic recycling reflects our desire at Suntory Beverage and Food Europe to actively seek out forward-thinking solutions to solve the challenges of today and ensure a sustainable future.”