L’OCCITANE en Provence and CARBIOS present a PET bottle made from enzymatic recycling, the result of a European circular economy

30 May 2024 18:00 CEST

• CARBIOS, L’OCCITANE en Provence and Pinard Beauty Pack join forces to establish an efficient European value chain for PET circularity
• The 100% biorecycled transparent bottle (from enzymatic recycling) will be on display at CARBIOS’ booth D02 at “Edition Spéciale” by LuxePack, held 4-5 June at the Carreau du Temple in Paris
• A key step towards achieving L'OCCITANE en Provence's eco-design commitment of 100% retail bottles made from 100% post-consumer recycled PET by 2027

Clermont-Ferrand and Manosque (France), Thursday 30 May 2024 (6pm CEST). CARBIOS, (Euronext Growth Paris : ALCRB), a pioneer in the development and industrialization of biological technologies to reinvent the life cycle of plastic and textiles, and L’OCCITANE en Provence, an international cosmetics brand using natural and organic ingredients, a long-term partner of CARBIOS, present a bottle in transparent PET made entirely from enzymatic recycling for a shower oil from the Amande range.  In collaboration with converter Pinard Beauty Pack, this bottle exemplifies a shared desire to build en efficient European recycling sector to accelerate the transition to a circular economy for plastic, and meet brands' commitments for more sustainable packaging solutions.  The bottle will be on display at CARBIOS’ Stand D02 at “Edition Spéciale” by LuxePack, the trade show dedicated to sustainable premium packaging, to be held on 4-5 June 2024 at the Carreau du Temple in Paris.

A sustainable European recycling sector set in motion

The 100% recycled PET bottle from CARBIOS' enzymatic depolymerization process was made with a European value chain committed to responsible consumption of sustainable materials. The bottle’s production began with the local supply of PET waste (already collected, sorted and prepared) to the CARBIOS industrial demonstrator in Clermont-Ferrand, France.  The waste used consisted of colored bottles, multilayer trays and mechanical recycling residues, none of which are currently recycled using conventional technologies. CARBIOS deconstructed the PET waste into its original monomers, PTA[1] and MEG[2], using its biorecycling technology. The resulting monomers were then repolymerized into new, fully recycled PET resins within Europe. In Oyonnax, France, these resins were blow-molded by Pinard Beauty Pack to create bottles according to L’OCCITANE’s specifications, and then filled with its shower oil at its Manosque plant.

This European approach optimizes the environmental benefits of the technology and the life cycle analysis (LCA) of each product, by reducing transport distances and integrating local collection and production processes. To meet the needs of international brands, similar chains will have to be established worldwide, drawing inspiration from this example.

[1] Purified Terephthalic Acid

[2] Monoethylene Glycol

The environmental benefits of CARBIOS biorecycling technology

Recent life-cycle analyses[1] show a 57% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to virgin plastic production[2], and for every tonne of recycled PET produced, 1.3 tonnes of oil are avoided.  Compared with conventional recycling, enzymatic recycling is 5 times more circular (calculated according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Material Circularity Indicator[3]).  Thanks to its highly selective enzyme, optimized for efficient PET degradation, CARBIOS' depolymerization technology can handle all types of PET waste, including colored, multilayer or textile waste that cannot be recycled with current technologies.  CARBIOS’ technology therefore complements mechanical recycling technologies. Furthermore, the two monomers produced (PTA and MEG) make it possible to recreate recycled PET products suitable for food contact and of identical quality to those of petroleum origin.

[1] Database ecoinvent 3.8

[2] French scenario, taking into account the detour of 50% of PET waste from conventional end-of-life. Virgin PET: 2.53 kg CO2/kg (cradle to gate)

[3] The Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) is a methodology developed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to measure how restorative the material flows are. The MCI gives a value between 0 and 1 where higher values indicate a higher circularity.  The MCI value for CARBIOS’ enzymatic recycling is 0.8.

An industrial reality

On 25 April 2024, CARBIOS celebrated the ground-breaking ceremony for its Longlaville plant, the first in the world to use the revolutionary enzymatic depolymerization technology. The plant will have an annual capacity of 50,000 tons of prepared waste when operating at full capacity.

Technological innovation serving eco-design

By taking into consideration the life cycle of materials and integrating recycling constraints right from the packaging design stage, manufacturers and brands can greatly optimize product circularity. To find out more, attend the “Case Study” conference at “Edition Spéciale” by LuxePack:

·       “CARBIOS and L'OCCITANE en Provence: technological innovation serving eco-design”

·       Wednesday 5 June 2024 from 3pm to 3.45pm in the auditorium (Carreau du Temple, Paris)

·       Speakers:

- Benedicte GARBIL - Senior VP Corporate Affairs & Sustainability - CARBIOS

- Martin BLONDEL - R&D Packaging Leader - L'OCCITANE en Provence