#Recycling / Circular Economy

2024-05-02

CARBIOS and Hündgen enter supply agreement for world’s first PET biorecycling plant

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 Hündgen Entsorgungs GmbH & Co. KG (Hündgen), a waste management expert in logistics, sorting services and the recycling of recyclable materials from waste mixtures, announce the signing of a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding relating to the sourcing, preparation and recycling of 15kt/year of post-consumer PET waste using CARBIOS’ biorecycling technology at its first commercial plant in Longlaville, from end 2026.

The partnership will leverage Hündgen’s expertise and network in the sourcing and preparation of light packaging waste collected from German households. This PET waste will be prepared into flakes ready for biorecycling using CARBIOS’ enzymatic depolymerization technology, which produces food-grade PTA and MEG, further re-polymerized into PET.

The supply partnership with Hündgen contributes to securing the majority of CARBIOS’ feedstock needs for its first commercial plant in Longlaville, France. This plant will have a 50kt/year capacity when it will be fully operational and is currently under construction. This latest sourcing announcement comes in addition to previously announced agreements, such as with Landbell Group for food trays from Germany, and the winning CITEO tender for trays in France. The location of the Longlaville plant is strategically close to nearby waste supplies in Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg.

Through its enzymatic depolymerization process, CARBIOS can process all types of PET waste, including waste that cannot be recycled with current technologies. Multilayered, colored, and opaque packaging waste as well as polyester textile waste now have circular recycling solutions.

Emmanuel Ladent, CEO of CARBIOS, comments: "Through our partnership with Hündgen, CARBIOS has now secured most of the feedstock supply for our first commercial plant. CARBIOS’ innovative biorecycling 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 biorecycling plants near waste supplies, an expertise that we’re keen to share with our future license holders. "

Christian Hündgen, CEO of Hündgen Entsorgungs GmbH & Co.KG, says: "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."

Carbios and Wankai postpone startup of China’s first PET biorecycling plant to 2028

The industrial deployment of enzymatic PET recycling in Asia is progressing, but at a slower pace than initially planned. French recycling technology company Carbios and its Chinese partner Wankai New Materials have announced that the commissioning of their planned PET biorecycling facility in Haining, Zhejiang Province, has been postponed and is now expected in the first half of 2028.

Carbios confirms Longlaville plant in France following financing progress

Carbios has reaffirmed its plans to build its Longlaville plant in France within a project financing framework, targeting the start of production in the first half of 2028. The company also reports a solid cash position of around €60 million at the end of 2025 and has appointed Benoît Grenot as Deputy Chief Executive Officer to support the execution of its strategic projects.

CARBIOS and Wankai sign strategic PET biorecycling pact

CARBIOS (Euronext Growth Paris: ALCRB) and Wankai New Materials (“Wankai”), a listed subsidiary of Zhink Group, the 3rd largest PET producer in China and 4th worldwide, announce the signing of the definitive agreement establishing a strategic partnership for the industrial rollout of CARBIOS’s PET biorecycling technology in Asia. The first milestone will be the construction of a PET biorecycling plant in China.

NEUMÜHLE launches mono-material hoodie designed for textile recycling

With the Circular Mono Hoodie, Zurich-based label NEUMÜHLE introduces a new essential designed around a single-material principle. The textile construction is cotton throughout, right down to the sewing thread. Entirely free from elastane, the hoodie launches as a Limited Drop for CHF 139. Take-back, collection and existing recycling partnerships complement its circular design.

New Look, M&S, Sainsbury's and Oxfam join forces to boost the UK’s circular textile economy

New Look, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Oxfam and Circle-8 today announce The Circuit, a new collaborative model bringing together retailers, textile recovery partners, automated sorting, recyclers, digital innovators and manufacturers to help build new circular textile value chains and transform UK generated post-consumer textiles into future circular raw materials. The first phase of the initiative will focus on testing, learning and developing the operational frameworks needed to support future scale-up.

YKK subsidiary Golden Hill Tower Limited marks 25 years of operations in Myanmar

Golden Hill Tower Limited, a subsidiary of YKK Corporation, celebrated its 25th anniversary with a ceremony in Myanmar on September 21, 2026. The event brought together approximately 230 guests, including senior executives from the YKK Group, to commemorate the company's development since the launch of its serviced apartment business in November 2000.

SHIMA SEIKI to showcase digital product creation at Apparel Sourcing Week

Leading digital textile solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan will exhibit at Apparel Sourcing Week 2026 in Bengaluru, India next month. The exhibition provides a platform for the entire apparel value chain, bringing together manufacturers, brands, suppliers and solution providers in one location.

SNA GZ accelerates its on-demand production strategy with Kornit Digital

SNA GZ is leveraging the Kornit Atlas MAX PLUS to expand its music merchandise production, streamline e-commerce order fulfillment, and grow its print-on-demand business across Europe. This investment increases SNA GZ's textile production capacity by 150% (2.5×), enabling the company to meet growing demand and support its continued expansion.

New Cotton Review examines competitiveness, market risk, and opportunities

From moving record volumes of Brazilian cotton to market, to managing price volatility, unlocking Ethiopia’s production potential, and strengthening African textile trade, the latest edition of Cotton: Review of the World Situation examines some of the most consequential opportunities and challenges facing the global cotton industry.