The exclusive partnership between Carbios and Novozymes will result in the production of Carbios’ PET-degrading enzymes at industrial scale
Carbios will build demonstration plant for recycling of PET-based plastics. (Credit: Carbios)
French Green chemistry company Carbios has signed a joint development agreement with Novozymes, a biological solutions company, to scale up Carbios’ PET-degrading enzymes, in support of the circular economy.
The exclusive partnership allows the production of Carbios’ PET-degrading enzymes at both a demonstration level and an industrial scale while providing a positive environmental impact.
Carbios said that the agreement will provide a sustainable solution for future customers for the infinite recycling of PET-based products including water and soda bottles, plastic packaging and textiles.
Carbios CEO Jean-Claude Lumaret said: “Many years ago we envisioned the great potential of enzymes to bring PET-based plastics and fibres into the circular economy. Following a first partnership on PLA biodegradation with Novozymes that began in January 2019, today’s agreement on PET recycling reinforces our collaboration.
“It also demonstrates the trust that the world’s largest provider of enzyme technologies has placed in Carbios. We are proud to share this common ambition to preserve the planet’s resources and to work together with Novozymes, to help build a more sustainable world.”
Carbios’ biology-based solution makes use of enzymes to break PET plastics and fibres.
Novozymes household care global marketing vice-president Jens Kolind said: “At Novozymes, we help bring biological answers to many of the global challenges we face today.
“We are happy to expand our collaboration with Carbios where we work together on finding biological solutions to address the significant sustainability challenge of plastic pollution.”
Carbios to build demonstration plant for recycling of PET-based plastics
Carbios plans to commence construction on demonstration plant for the recycling of PET-based plastics and polyester fibres in 2020, with operation scheduled in 2021.
Carbios said it has entered into a strategic alliance with INSA Toulouse via TBI, which is a mixed research unit.
The new enzyme engineering research centre, dubbed PoPLaB (Plastic Polymers and Biotechnologies), will work on plastic recycling and biosynthesis.