Nestlé Water, PepsiCo and Suntory Beverage & Food Europe join Consortium founded by Carbios and L’Oréal to support world’s first enzymatic technology for recycling of plastics

Carbios and L’Oréal have announced a major partnership with Nestlé Water, PepsiCo and Suntory Beverage & Food Europe, to help boost the recyclability of PET plastic products.

Carbios has developed a unique and sustainable technology using highly specific enzymes that can recycle much broader PET plastics and polyester fibres feedstock than any other recycling technologies.

This innovative process creates recycled PET, equivalent to virgin PET, that can be used for applications like bottles and other forms of packaging.

Carbios and L’Oréal previously founded the Consortium to bring enhanced recycling technology designed and developed by Carbios to market on an industrial scale.

Under the terms of the four-year agreement, the ambition of the Consortium partner’s is to bring Carbios’ PET-enhanced recycling technology to the market and increase the availability of high-quality recycled plastics to fulfil their sustainability commitments.

The collaboration includes technical milestones and support for the efficient supply of consumer-grade, 100 per cent PET plastics for global markets.

Jean-Claude Lumaret, CEO of Carbios, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Nestlé Waters, PepsiCo and Suntory Beverage & Food Europe into the Consortium we have created with L’Oréal.”

“Their contribution will accelerate our common ambition and help to industrialise our recycling technology, which brings a breakthrough solution in the treatment of plastic waste.”

Phillipe Thuvien, Vice-President of Packaging and Development at L’Oréal, said: “ We are convinced that Carbios’ technology is a new step forward, in addition to the mechanical and chemical recycling that contribute to reaching our 2025 goals, which is making 50 per cent of our products’ plastic components recycled or bio-sourced.”

“We know that by working together with our partners, we will succeed in creating a more sustainable world based on circular economy principles.”

Massimo Casella, Head of R&D at Nestlé Waters, said: “We are pleased to be joining the Consortium in supporting the development of this new technology. It can help us to achieve Nestlé’s goal of increasing the amount of recycled PET content in our bottles without compromising on quality and contribute to creating an environmentally sustainable world for the next generation.”

Simon Lowden, President of Global Food at PepsiCo, said: “PepsiCo is striving for a world where plastics need never become waste. Achieving that requires collaborative efforts to drive transformative change across the packaging lifecycle.”

“The Consortium offers us the opportunity to accelerate the development of this promising enzymatic recycling technology which, alongside mechanical and chemical recycling, can move us closer to a circular economy for plastics.”

Roberto Vanin, Chief R&D Officer for Suntory Beverage & Food Europe, said: “Addressing the global issue of plastic waste requires large scale collaboration, innovative thinking and investment in new and ground-breaking technologies.”

“We are delighted to partner with Carbios to drive real action to tackle plastic waste. Their innovative approach to enzymatic recycling reflects our desire at Suntory Beverage & Food Europe to actively seek out forward-thinking solutions to solve the challenges of today and ensure a sustainable future.”