First production of virgin PET from post-consumer plastic bottles treated by enzymatic hydrolysis

Clermont-Ferrand, France – CARBIOS (Euronext Growth Paris: ALCRB), pioneer company in the field of bioplasturgy, today announces that it has taken a new step forward with the production of virgin PET made out of terephthalic acid coming from its biorecycling process of post-consumer PET plastic bottles.

CARBIOS previously demonstrated that it had successfully synthetized PET oligomers made out of terephthalic acid coming from its biorecycling process of PET plastic bottles. This was the first step towards the production of PET.

The following step consisting in the synthesis of virgin PET made out of these oligomers has now been completed confirming by then the potential of CARBIOS’ technology for the recycling of plastic bottles waste into virgin PET polymers.

Alain MARTY, Chief Scientific Officer of CARBIOS comments: “We have met a new challenge by demonstrating that enzymatic depolymerization applied to PET bottles enables the virtuous cycle of a return to virgin PET. Our next short-term goal is now to demonstrate that this virgin PET is suitable for the production of new bottles, thus paving the way to circular economy for PET plastic products.”

Jacqueline LECOURTIER, President of CARBIOS Scientific Committee and member of the French National Academy of Technologies declares: “The original process developed by CARBIOS to recycle PET, main component of plastic bottles massively used by the food industry, is a major innovation. CARBIOS demonstrates the high potential of enzymatic recycling applied to plastic waste in terms of efficiency and environmental friendliness and opens promising prospects for the treatment of a wide range of this type of waste.”