Carbios revolutionizes plastic recycling

2023-12-24 12:07:21

To all those who dream of reducing dependence on oil, Carbios provides, on its scale, part of the solution, with its unique process in the world for biological recycling of PET plastic (polyethylene terephthalate), very present in bottles and textiles. . Emmanuel Ladent, the general director of this company, created in Clermont-Ferrand in 2011, even did the calculation. “ By deploying our technology on products that have not been recyclable until now, the planet could save 130 billion barrels of oil, or three years of current production “, he assures.

Carbios has developed enzymes that decompose all types of plastics, such as colored bottles, without altering their qualities, unlike traditional methods using solvents. These are proteins that break the polymer chain into a multitude of monomers. “ From waste, we return to the basic components with the addition of solutions that consume less energy than the others, because they are used at low temperatures,” underlines the boss of Carbios, who has already filed around sixty patents.

A first factory in Meurthe-et-Moselle

According to him, his technology makes it possible to carry out a dozen recyclings with the same material, compared to 2 to 3 for traditional methods. “ A tremendous innovation » et « example of what to do », Underlined the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, on December 11 in Toulouse, for the two years of the France 2030 plan, which granted 30 million euros to the company.

At the beginning of 2024, it should start the construction of a factory in Longlaville (Meurthe-et-Moselle) with the Thai Indorama, world leader in PET which will invest 110 million euros (out of a total amount of 230 million) to develop on an industrial scale, the Carbios solution, known as “ enzymatic depolymerization », by recycling cosmetic bottles or vials. Operational in 2025, the plant should, initially, process 50,000 tonnes of waste per year, or the equivalent of 2.5 billion trays per year or 2 billion plastic bottles, to recycle them.

Heading towards textiles

But Carbios does not intend to stop there. Listed on the stock exchange, the company carried out a capital increase of 141 million euros in June, to which its historic shareholders, such as Michelin, L’Oréal and the L’Occitane group, subscribed. “ Our goal is to be able to recycle all plastics within 10 years, whereas there are barely 10% today. affirms Emmanuel Ladent, who says “ to wantproceed in stages.”

On its Auvergne site, Carbios inaugurated a new machine in October to process polyester textile, which alone represents two thirds of the PET produced in the world, the rest coming from the food industry. “ Clothing made from polyester fibers takes up half of our wardrobes », recalls the manager. The demonstrator is capable of processing 300 kg of clothing per hour, but the objective is obviously to move to an industrial phase in 2025. Carbios has already received the support of brands such as Salomon, Patagonia and Puma, all of which are seeking to use more recycled materials. It has also signed partnerships with major food industry groups, such as Nestlé and Pepsico.

Regulations will impose an increasing share of recycled materials

Carbios’ business model is not to build factories all over the world, but to sell licenses to plastics manufacturers, as well as to recycling specialists looking to expand their range of technology. “ Our ambition is to capture 4 to 8% of the recycled PET market by 2030 and 8 to 12% by 2035 », Underlines the boss of Carbios. According to him, discussions are already underway with around forty industrialists. For the moment, Carbios recycling technology still costs a little more than the use of petrosourced plastics, mainly because the manufacturing units are not yet on the same scale. “ But the differences are marginal, on the order of a few cents », affirms Emmanuel Ladent.

In all cases, society should be helped in its development by regulation. In the European Union, packaging professionals will have to incorporate 25% recycled materials from 2025 and 60% in 2040. For textiles, a minimum content of recycled fiber should also see the light of day.