France's Carbios has unveiled plans to scale up its enzyme recycling to the wider European market by opening another plant at a yet-undisclosed location on the continent.
Ocean plastic waste. Credit: 7inchs / Pexels
Plastic waste is becoming a major issue, building up in the world's oceans, which can be a danger to marine life. Credit: 7inchs / Pexels
The firm has narrowed its choice down to two locations, one in France, that will allow it to bring its C-ZYME tech to a wider market in a bid to cut down on plastic pollution following promising tests at its demonstration plant back in September.
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C-ZYME converts plastic polymers into its base ingredients, which can then be used to make 100% recycled and 100% recyclable PET, reportedly without loss of quality.
Back in 2019, the EU pledged to ban the use of certain single-use plastics. The Directive on single-use plastics came into effect in June 2021, which saw things such as plastic straws banned for commercial use in the bloc.
Plastic waste is one of the leading issues associated with the climate crisis today. According to 2019 data, the EU produces nearly 26 million tonnes of plastic waste annually - around 80% of which ends up in the world's oceans.
Major players in the industry are aiming to be 100% recyclable by 2025, and Carbios hopes accelerating production will aid in the EU's goals of reaching the circular economy.
“To be ready for 2025... We are entering the final stage of our industrial development. Discussions with our potential partners and public authorities are in process and we can expect the location of our future first-of-its-kind reference unit to be announced in the coming weeks,” Carbios CEO Emmanuel Ladent said in a statement.
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The company have continued to replicate the results seen at its pilot plant, which it claims shows the tech is ready to bring to a larger audience.
The team are currently completing audits in line with various PET manufacturers and have hired new talent to make its new location a success.
Initial engineering work is expected to be completed by the end of the year, and the plant should commence production by the 2025 deadline.
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