#Recycling / Circular Economy

2024-08-01

CARBIOS and SASA enter discussions for license of 100k ton/year PET biorecycling facility in Turkey

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 SASA, one of the world's leading manufacturers of polyester, fiber, filament yarn, polyester-based polymers, specialty polymers and intermediates, have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to cooperate through SASA’s potential acquisition of a license for CARBIOS’ unique PET biorecycling technology.

Emmanuel Ladent, CEO - in front of demonstration plant © 2024 CARBIOS / Christian Jaquet

This licensing agreement would allow SASA to construct and operate an enzymatic depolymerization plant in Adana, Turkey, with a capacity of 100,000 tons per year of prepared PET waste, and would give access to a circular recycling technology, enabling the production of polyester pellets, fibers and textiles from various waste sources, including polyester textile waste. With CARBIOS' biorecycling technology, SASA would diversify its offering to meet the growing global demand for sustainable materials in the textile industry, primarily catering to the European market.

SASA and CARBIOS’ partnership : a boost for European recycled polyester production

Less than 1% of textile waste is currently recycled into new textile fibers[1]. With European regulations moving towards the incorporation of more recycled content (at least 20% of recycled fibers by 2030), demand for recycled polyester in the EU is anticipated to increase, naturally positioning Turkey as a major producer alongside Asian countries. In this context, SASA is striving to become the largest supplier of high value-added polyester in the region and beyond. To achieve this, SASA aims to introduce recycling as part of its activities, which already encompass the whole value chain from PET production to fiber and textile conversion. CARBIOS’ PET biorecycling technology plays an important part in SASA’s ongoing transformation strategy, which includes back integration, capacity expansion, even higher competitiveness, as well as circularity.

CARBIOS has developed a revolutionary enzymatic depolymerization technology that enables efficient and solvent-free recycling of PET plastic and textile waste into virgin-like products. CARBIOS has ambitious plans to become a leading technology provider in the recycling of PET by 2035. After the recent announcement of a joint Letter of Intent with Zhink Group in China, this new Letter of Intent for a potential licensing agreement in Europe confirms global traction for CARBIOS biorecycling technology, and marks another significant step in the international roll-out of its licensing model. In addition to the world’s first industrial-scale enzymatic PET recycling plant which is currently under construction in Longlaville, France, this potential plant in Turkey would process PET waste that is currently not recyclable using conventional recycling technologies.

With the creation of a major PET yarn and fiber manufacturing capacity on a European scale, we believe Turkey will play a pivotal role in the expanding textile market. Partnering with SASA, a leader in polyester production, is a natural fit for CARBIOS’ international ambitions for licensing our biorecycling technology, and will contribute to a more circular and sustainable textile industry", says Emmanuel Ladent, CEO of CARBIOS.

Dr. M. Kemal Öz, General Manager, SASA says:"As a leading producer of polyester, it’s our duty to pave the way in terms of sustainability and environmental responsibility. SASA needs to be a part of the recycling business and our partnership with CARBIOS reinforces our commitment to innovation to advance a circular economy for textiles."

[1] System Circularity and Innovative Recycling of Textiles | Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (europa.eu)

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

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