Carbios celebrates the groundbreaking of its PET biorecycling plant
Carbios celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for the world’s first PET biorecycling plant on April 25, in the presence of representatives of local authorities, partner brands and industrial partners. Located in Longlaville, in the Grand-Est region of France, Carbios’ first commercial plant is intended to play a key role in the fight against plastic pollution, offering an industrial-scale solution for the enzymatic depolymerisation of PET waste in order to accelerate a circular economy for plastic and textiles. The plant will have a processing capacity of 50kt/a of prepared waste when operating at full capacity. Work is progressing on schedule with significant quantities delivered to customers in 2026.
Carbios’ technology enables PET circularity and provides an alternative raw material to fossil-based monomers, giving PET producers, waste management companies, public bodies and brands an effective solution to meet regulatory requirements and their own commitments to sustainable development. The plant will have the capacity to process 50,000 t/a of prepared PET waste (equivalent to 2 billion coloured bottles, 2.5 billion food trays or 300 million T-shirts). The plant will create 150 direct and indirect jobs in the region. In October 2023, the company obtained the building and operating permits for the site. The factory is currently under construction on land officially acquired from Indorama Ventures on 14 February 2024. In February 2024, Carbios and De Smet Engineers & Contractors (DSEC) announced their collaboration to manage construction. Several feedstock supply agreements, notably with Citeo and Landbell Group, will secure the vast majority of the raw materials required. Close to the borders with Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg, the plant’s location is strategic for access to nearby waste supplies.
Emmanuel Macron, President of France, said: “A technological revolution is taking shape tomorrow with the groundbreaking ceremony of Carbios’ plant in Longlaville: the world’s first biorecycling plant. French pride! Ecological transition and growth, made in France and innovation go hand in hand.” and Emmanuel Ladent, CEO of Carbios, stated: “At Carbios, we have turned a vision into reality with the groundbreaking of the world’s first PET biorecycling plant. Our revolutionary enzymatic depolymerisation technology marks the beginning of a new era in plastic recycling, moving away from dependence on oil to a circular economy fuelled by PET waste itself. Carbios continues its mission by collaborating with strategic partners around the world and embarking on a promising commercial and international deployment. I would like to thank our partner brands and industrial partners present, particularly L’Oréal Groupe, L’Occitane en Provence, Puma, Suntory Beverage & Food Europe, Salomon, On, Citeo and Novonesis for their contribution to the success of this historic event.”
