Emirates Biotech has announced it has joined the CIRCLE consortium. The initiative is funded by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) under the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme. It aims to demonstrate a first-of-its-kind industrial biorefinery that converts organic food waste into high-value bio-based chemicals, including polylactic acid (PLA). The four-year project has received €27 million in funding and brings together 17 partners from across the value chain.
CIRCLE Consortium
CIRCLE Consortium project objectives.
As part of the project, Emirates Biotech will manage the polymerisation of lactic acid derived from food waste. The company will produce high-purity PLA for other consortium partners to evaluate and develop. Additionally, the project aims to produce different PLA grades for applications in the automotive, cosmetics, and food packaging industries. This will demonstrate how lactic acid and PLA can be produced from food waste within a waste management facility, reducing the carbon footprint of material production.
“Proving that we can derive high-performance biopolymers directly from food waste is a major step forward for the industry,” said François de Bie, Chief Commercial Officer at Emirates Biotech. “Demand for sustainable materials is growing quickly in sectors like automotive and cosmetics. Our role in the CIRCLE project is to convert polymer-grade lactic acid produced by our partners into commercial-grade PLA that meets those standards and can be used in existing manufacturing processes.”
In September 2025, the world’s first lab-scale PLA made from only food waste was made. Emirates Biotech’s participation will help move this breakthrough toward industrial-scale production and commercial applications, aligning with the scheduled commissioning of the company’s 80ktpa PLA plant in 2028.