#Recycling / Circular Economy

2022-12-15

Carbios hosts world’s first PET Biorecycling Summit with Bertrand Piccard, initiator and chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation, as keynote speaker

Carbios hosted the world’s first PET Biorecycling Summit from 7 to 8 December 2022 in Paris. The event attracted over 100 international participants from the scientific, academic, and industrial worlds to exchange on the advances in the field of biological recycling, and how to bring these innovations for a circular economy to market.

Carbios brings together top researchers and leaders in the field of enzyme and polymer study to share advances in biological recycling

Circular economy key players from academics and industry gathered from around the world at the first-of-its-kind event

Solar Impulse Foundation recognizes Carbios’ breakthrough technology

The two-day conference gathered world-renowned scientists from various academic institutions to share their latest research on PET enzymatic depolymerization. Bertrand Piccard, Initiator and Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation[1], joined as the Keynote Speaker for the last session focused on PET circularity, and praised Carbios’ contribution to reducing plastic pollution. The Summit concludes with a visit of Carbios’ demonstration plant in Clermont-Ferrand today. The demonstration plant was inaugurated in September 2021 and brings Carbios’ technology one step closer to industrialization. Following the demonstration plant’s success, Carbios is on track to build and operate the world’s first industrial-scale enzymatic PET recycling plant (with a processing capacity of 50.000 tons of PET waste per year) in France (Longlaville) by 2025[2], and to start licensing its technology throughout the world.

View the full program and list of speakers and follow #biorecyclingsummit #carbiosPETsummit on Carbios’ social channels

https://www.carbios.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/invitees-world-pet-biorecycling-summit-7-8th-december-1.pdf

Scientific researchers from 10 countries, including North America, UK, Japan and Germany

Bertrand Piccard, Solar Impulse Foundation, as Keynote Speaker

Speakers from strategic partnerships: L’Oréal, Salomon, and McKinsey

Bertrand Piccard, Serial explorer, psychiatrist and clean technology pioneer, Initiator and Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation: “Reducing plastic waste is one of the major challenges of our times. Carbios’ technology for the biological recycling of plastics was one of the first innovations labeled “Efficient Solution” by the Solar Impulse Foundation back in 2019[3]. Carbios has my continued support and I commend today’s initiative to gather key stakeholders in the fight to protect the environment.”

Alain Marty, Chief Scientific Officer of Carbios: “At Carbios, our teams have developed a unique enzymatic process that makes it possible to biologically recycle the second most widely used plastic in the world: PET. Unlike mainstream recycling methods, our innovative process makes it possible to recycle all types of waste, even polyester textiles, to be reused in the production of new PET plastics with equivalent quality to virgin ones. This first PET Biorecycling Summit allowed us to explore the scientific advances in the field of enzymatic recycling and to challenge ourselves to go further, faster, with the support of an international network of experts.”

Emmanuel Ladent, Chief Executive Officer of Carbios: “The success of our industrialization model is based on our ability to forge strategic partnerships. Since Carbios’ inception, we have built partnerships in research, business, and finance, as well as consortiums with major brand owners in both the packaging and textile industries. I am honored that so many delegates were present for the first PET Biorecycling Summit, as I am convinced that we can reach a truly circular economy with biological recycling only if academics and industry work hand in hand.”

[1] To address sustainability challenges while enabling economic growth, Bertrand Piccard and the Solar Impulse Foundation have identified 1000+ clean and profitable solutions. More details available on the official website: https://solarimpulse.com/foundation

[2] Cf. Press release dated 23 February 2022

[3] Cf. Press release dated 3 June 2019

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Managed workwear services are providing a blueprint for the circular textile economy

Managed workwear service providers are demonstrating how commercial success and circularity can go hand in hand by extending garment lifespans through repair, laundering, reuse and recycling, according to “Managed workwear services—a circular textile economy ahead of the game”, a new 14‑page report from the global business information company Textiles Intelligence.

Eco-design as the foundation of circular textiles

Based on the results of an extensive European analysis, the Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity is currently developing three practice-based training modules covering recycling technologies, eco-design for the circular economy and sustainable manufacturing. This was preceded by a comprehensive company survey and a joint analysis conducted by the project partners under the leadership of IVGT. The results show that the greatest challenges lie not so much in a lack of technology as in skills gaps.

Usha Yarns secures growth equity investment from Fullerton Carbon Action Fund

Usha Yarns Limited (“Usha Yarns”), a producer of high-quality recycled yarns with advanced, well established production processes, announced a growth equity investment from the Fullerton Carbon Action Fund (“Fullerton”), a private equity strategy managed by Fullerton Fund Management that backs established mid-market companies across Emerging Asia to accelerate decarbonisation.

PERFORMANCE DAYS announces new focus topic & forums for October 2026

With its upcoming October 13–14, 2026 edition, PERFORMANCE DAYS is placing the spotlight on one of the textile industry’s most important transformations: “Bio-Based Materials – From Fiber to Fabric”, a two-part Focus Topic exploring the future of bio-based innovation across the textile value chain. Part 1, presented in October 2026, will focus on fibers and next-generation material developments, while Part 2 at the March 2027 edition will shift the perspective toward dyeing, finishing, additives, and processing technologies.

Febratex 2026 to be the largest edition of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas with 10 exhibition halls

Febratex 2026 will be the largest edition in the history of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas. Dedicated to the textile and apparel manufacturing industries, the event will take place from August 18–21, 2026, in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil, with a strong focus on technology, sustainability, and business generation.

Cotton Brazil Dialogues field trip brings international stakeholders closer to Brazil’s cotton production chain

How do you build trust across the global textile value chain? By opening the farm gates. This is the principle behind the Cotton Brazil Dialogues. At the end of July, the programme welcomed its first group of international participants for a five-day immersion into Brazilian cotton production, combining field visits with technical workshops to showcase the quality, sustainability, innovation and traceability behind one of the world’s leading cotton origins.