Carbios unveils major innovation in polyester recycling with new textile preparation line, in the presence of Roland Lescure, French Minister of Industry

Carbios unveils major innovation in polyester recycling with new textile preparation line, in the presence of Roland Lescure, French Minister of Industry

• Polyester textiles account for 2/3 of the global PET market of around 100 million tons. Only 13% of textile waste is currently recycled, and only 1% is recycled "fiber-to-fiber"^[1],[2]
   
• Carbios has developed an automated textile preparation line integrating all stages (shredding and extraction of hard points) to transform textile waste into raw material for enzymatic recycling
   
• Carbios’ textile preparation line meets a critical challenge for textile industrialization and circularity

Clermont-Ferrand (France), 2 October 2023 (6:00 pm CET). Carbios, (Euronext Growth Paris: ALCRB), a pioneer in the development and industrialization of biological technologies to reinvent the life cycle of plastic and textiles, today inaugurated its textile preparation line at its demonstration plant in Clermont-Ferrand, in the presence of Mr. Lescure, French Minister for Industry.  To streamline the textile preparation phase, which is currently carried out by hand or on several lines, Carbios has developed a fully integrated and automated line that transforms textile waste from used garments or cutting scraps into raw material suitable for depolymerization with its enzymatic biorecycling process.  This patented line integrates all preparation stages (shredding and extraction of hard points such as buttons or fasteners), and provides Carbios with a high-performance, scalable development tool. The platform will help validate the biorecycling technology for textiles at demonstration plant scale (by 2024), and provides Carbios with expertise in working with collection and sorting operators to specify the quality of textiles and the preparation steps needed to make them suitable for enzymatic recycling. This expertise will also be invaluable to brands in the eco-design of their products.

Roland Lescure, French Minister of Industry - "Textile recycling is a major issue, as the need for solutions to manage the life cycle of these products is critical: worldwide, only 13% of textile waste is currently recycled, with the remaining 87% ending up in landfill or incineration. Carbios is contributing in the creation of a French recycling industry. Thanks to its know-how and its innovative, collaborative spirit, Carbios is providing a solution – cutting-edge and made in France - to what was until now a real obstacle to textile recycling."

Emmanuel Ladent, CEO of Carbios - "Textile preparation is an essential step for recycling: without a solution for textile preparation, there is no recycling industry, and no textile circularity. The output from our new preparation line is ready to be directly integrated into our biorecycling process, which enables closed-loop "fiber to fiber" recycling - a strong demand from the brands we work with. I would like to thank the French Government for its support throughout the industrialization and internationalization of our technology."

Partner brands from the « Fiber-to-fiber » Consortium present at the inauguration event: On, PUMA and Salomon - « This preparation line completes the work in progress with the Fiber-to-fiber Consortium on biorecycling and will accelerate the industrial development of Carbios’ technology. »

Current collection, sorting and preparation infrastructures limit the amount of textile waste available for "fiber-to-fiber" recycling.  Collection rates average around 15-25% worldwide^[3], and much of the waste collected is exported to Africa, Asia or Latin America for sorting.

Moreover, textiles are highly complex materials, with yarns of different composition (or nature) that are difficult, if not impossible, to physically separate. However, the highly selective enzyme developed by Carbios can specifically depolymerize the PET (polyester) present in textile material.

At present, textiles are sorted and prepared mainly by hand, with low yields, particularly for disruptors to recycling processes such as "hard points" (zips, buttons, etc.).  To optimize this crucial phase, Carbios is contributing a textile preparation solution to accelerate the development of biorecycling in the textile industry. Enzymatic recycling, or biorecycling, therefore contributes to the construction of a textile recycling chain and the acceleration of textile circularity, also enabling brands to do away with used bottles.

Key information about the textile preparation line

Key dates in the development of textile biorecycling

Textile collection in Europe from 1 January 2025

Separate collection of textile waste will be mandatory in Europe from 1 January 2025.  By 2030, the European Union intends to set a minimum content of recycled fibers in the composition of textiles, according to the Commission's website.^[4]

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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About Carbios:

Carbios is a biotech company developing and industrializing biological solutions to reinvent the life cycle of plastic and textiles.  Inspired by nature, Carbios develops enzyme-based processes to break down plastic with a mission to avoid plastic and textile pollution, and accelerate the transition to a circular economy. Its two disruptive technologies for the biorecycling of PET and the biodegradation of PLA are reaching industrial and commercial scale.  Its biorecycling demonstration plant has been operational since 2021 and a firstindustrial plant, in partnership with Indorama Ventures, is due to be commissioned in 2025.  Carbios has received scientific recognition, notably with the cover of Nature, and is supported by prestigious brands in the cosmetics, Food & Beverage and apparel industries to enhance their products’ recyclability and circularity. Nestlé Waters, PepsiCo and Suntory Beverage & Food Europe are members of a packaging consortium founded by Carbios and L’Oréal. On, Patagonia, PUMA, PVH Corp. and Salomon collaborate with Carbios in a textile consortium.

Visit www.carbios.com/en to find out more about biotechnology powering plastic and textile circularity.

Twitter: Carbios / LinkedIn: Carbios / Instagram: insidecarbios

Information on Carbios shares:

ISIN Code   FR0011648716
Ticker Code   Euronext Growth: ALCRB
LEI:    969500M2RCIWO4NO5F08

Carbios, founded in 2011 by Truffle Capital, is eligible for the PEA-PME, a government program allowing French residents investing in SMEs to benefit from income tax rebates.

Disclaimer on forward-looking statements and risk factors:

This press release contains forward-looking statements, not historical data, and should not be construed as a guarantee that the facts and data stated will occur. These forward-looking statements are based on data, assumptions and estimates considered reasonable by Carbios. Carbios operates in a competitive and rapidly evolving environment. It is therefore not in a position to anticipate all risks, uncertainties or other factors that may affect its business, their potential impact on its business or the extent to which the materialization of a risk or combination of risks could lead to results that differ significantly from those mentioned in any forward-looking statement. Carbios draws your attention to the fact that forward-looking statements are in no way a guarantee of its future performance and that its actual financial position, results and cash flows and the development of the sector in which Carbios operates may differ significantly from those proposed or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this document. In addition, even if Carbios’ financial position, results, cash flows and developments in the industry in which it operates are consistent with the forward-looking information contained in this document, such results or developments may not be a reliable indication of Carbios’ future results or developments. Readers are advised to carefully consider the risk factors described in the Universal registration document filed with the French Market Authority (“AMF”), as well as in the half-year financial report available free of charge on the Company’s website. Should all or any part of these risk factors materialize or others, in no case whatsoever will Carbios be liable to anyone for any decision made or action taken in conjunction with the information and/or statements in this press release or for any related damages. This information is given only as of the date of this press release. Carbios makes no commitment to publish updates to this information or on the assumptions on which it is based, except in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligation applicable to it.

This press release and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe to shares in Carbios in any country.

For additional information, please contact:

Translation is for information purposes only.
In case of discrepancy between the French and the English version of this press release, the French version shall prevail

^[1] Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017

^[2] Fiber-to-fiber recycling transforms textile waste into new fibers for clothing and textiles, with no loss in quality

^[3] Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017 

^[4] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/fr/qanda_22_2015