Carbios, called “a pioneer in the field of bioplasturgy,” and L’Oréal have announced a new partnership regarding the sustainable management of plastic life cycle. As part of their commitment to promoting the circular economy through innovative plastic recycling solutions, the two parties have signed an agreement to jointly found a five-year consortium to bring the bio-recycling technology designed and developed by Carbios to market on an industrial scale. The partnership is open to industries from other sectors looking to develop new plastic bio-recycling solutions.
 
Carbios has developed an enzymatic bio-recycling process for plastics that breaks polymers down to the basic components (monomers) originally used to create them. Once separated and purified, the monomers can be used again to create virgin plastic, without losing any value through the recycling process. This biological process is free of the constraints facing conventional recycling techniques and is the first step to developing a new way of managing the plastic life cycle—in line with the circular economy.
 
L’Oréal and the other manufacturers in the consortium will benefit from the development of this Carbios innovation and will be first in line to receive the first available units. L’Oréal will use this new technology during the design phase for new packaging, thereby promoting the circular economy.
 
According to L’Oréal Packaging & Development Vice-President Philippe Thuvien, “L’Oréal has been committed to an ambitious sustainable packaging programme for several years now. We currently use up to 100% recycled plastic for several different products. We’ve decided to go even further: with this innovative Carbios technology, L’Oréal is helping to make bio-recycling available on an industrial scale. It’s a wonderful opportunity to protect the environment, and this consortium will also help boost the circular economy.”