TotalEnergies Corbion Enters Deal for PLA Recycling
TotalEnergies Corbion, POSCO International, and ESOL have formed a partnership to develop the recycling infrastructure and technology for PLA in South Korea. This collaboration will support the Korean government's framework for achieving carbon neutrality in the coming years.
As part of its efforts to expand its green portfolio, POSCO International plans to enter the biobased plastic recycling sector. The company will oversee and finance the project, while ESOL will retrieve the Post Consumer Recycle (PCR) PLA waste and advance the technology for its recycling. TotalEnergies Corbion will provide expertise and experience in advanced PLA recycling to support the project.
Thomas Philipon, CEO of TotalEnergies Corbion, stated that the company is already supplying Luminy® rPLA, a recycled-based PLA, to the South Korean market. He added that developing a local plan for reprocessing PLA waste will further accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
PLA, a low-carbon footprint alternative to traditional plastics, is experiencing rapid growth as the global bioplastic market expands by over 20% annually.
By mechanically and advanced recycling Luminy®, PLA becomes a great choice for food service and packaging products, as well as bottles and containers. The recycling of an already biobased and low carbon footprint material makes it a remarkable circular material.
ESOL, a Korean company that offers a wide range of PLA-based products, plans to establish a PLA recycling structure in Korea through its supply chain. It will leverage TotalEnergies Corbion's existing advanced recycling technology and infrastructure. As the PLA market is expected to grow in Korea, this initiative will contribute to more sustainable use of plastics.
POSCO International's Executive VP Lee Sang-hoon said that the partnership with ESOL and TotalEnergies Corbion will help enhance their ESG business and contribute to the transformation towards a circular economy.
Since 2019, POSCO International has been trading bioplastics and aims to complete the development of PCR of PLA technology by 2026, with ESOL's support in retrieving used PLA through their Green Butterfly campaign. The company plans to play a significant role in the eco-friendly conversion of the plastic industry.
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Source: TotalEnergies Corbion
