Carbios eyes opening of UK-based PET biorecycling textile plant

Biological tech pioneer Carbios has announced a new partnership with recycling and waste management firm FCC Environment UK which could see the establishment of a new UK-based plant utilising Carbios’ PET biorecycling licensed technology.

The duo have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) agreeing to jointly study the implementation of such a facility in the UK, confirming interest from the local waste management sector and plastic producers.

The move comes as a response to the plateauing of recycling progress in the UK in recent years, despite the government being vocal in supporting efforts towards a more circular economy.

Carbios believes that exploring biorecycling is one way of delivering “real environmental change”, the firm said in a release, and the FCC expressing interest in understanding the technology could potentially give it a foothold in the region.

Addressing the plastic waste crisis in particular, Carbios developed an enzymatic depolymerisation technology enabling solvent-free recycling of PET plastic and textile waste into “virgin-like products”.

The company said it had plans to become a “leading technology provider in the recycling of PET by 2035”, with the proposed UK-based plant to build on Carbios’ recycling plant already under construction in Longlaville, France.

If approved, the UK location would process PET waste that is currently not recyclable using conventional recycling technologies, such as coloured, multilayered or textile waste.

Speaking on the progress, Emmanuel Ladent, CEO of Carbios, said that partnering with FCC would mean access to feedstock at the source “through its established collection systems, enhancing the efficiency and impact of our sustainable waste solution”.