Hündgen Entsorgungs has entered a supply agreement to source, prepare, and supply Carbios’ industrial-scale bio-recycling plant with 15kt of post-consumer PET flakes every year from late 2026.
As part of the non-binding Memorandum of Understanding, Hündgen is set to convert light packaging waste from German households into PET flakes. These will then be sent to Carbios to be turned into food-grade PTA and MEG via its enzymatic depolymerization technology, then repolymerized into new PET.
According to Carbios, all types of PET waste can undergo this process. This includes multilayered, coloured, and opaque packaging waste, polyester textile waste, and other end-of-life materials that cannot be recycled using existing technologies.
Carbios’ plant is currently under construction in Longlaville, France – a strategic location to access nearby waste supplies from Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg. Once it is fully operational, the facility is expected to reach an annual capacity of 50kt.
“Through our partnership with Hündgen, Carbios has now secured most of the feedstock supply for our first commercial plant,” says Carbios CEO Emmanuel Ladent. “Carbios’ innovative bio-recycling technology enables the conversion of diverse PET waste, allowing more flexibility in sourcing, and price-competitiveness compared with high-demand clear bottles.
“Our local sourcing strategy has also paid off and demonstrates the importance of locating bio-recycling plants near waste supplies, an expertise that we’re keen to share with our future license holders.”
“Establishing new standards in the field of plastic packaging recycling requires the development and implementation of innovative technologies and the promotion of cross-border cooperation.
“In this context, we are delighted to be part of one of the leading projects in Europe in the field of PET non-bottle recycling.”
Back in 2021, an industrial demonstration plant carried out initial tests to evaluate the scalability of Carbios’ enzymatic recycling technology. Plans were then announced to build the ‘world’s first’ industrial-scale manufacturing plant at Indorama Ventures’ PET production site.
In October 2023, the required building and operating permits were obtained. This was recently followed by an engineering partnership with De Smet Engineers & Contractors to handle construction, project management, and detailed engineering; a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Landbell Group covering the sourcing, preparation, and recycling of post-consumer PET waste; and, most recently, a groundbreaking ceremony commemorating the start of the facility’s construction.
The construction process is reportedly on schedule to deliver ‘significant quantities’ to customers in 2026.
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