An EU-funded project has demonstrated the chemical recycling of mixed plastics waste into polylactic acid (PLA) under pilot-scale industrial conditions.
The ReBioCycle consortium worked with TotalEnergies Corbion, Torwash and other industrial partners to sort mixed plastics waste using existing technologies in an operational environment.
The recovered material was then broken down into lactic acid using Torwash’s hydrolysis technology.
TotalEnergies Corbion repolymerised the lactic acid into rPLA, which the consortium said had properties equivalent to virgin material.
Beyond laboratory conditions
The results demonstrate that PLA recycling can be carried out beyond laboratory conditions, according to the consortium. It also said the process could provide a route for incorporating bioplastics into existing waste streams and recycling systems.
The development comes as the EU prepares to implement new packaging requirements. Under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), all packaging placed on the European market must be recyclable by 2030.
The consortium said its approach could help recover material from mixed waste streams while producing rPLA for industrial applications.
The technologies used could also be integrated into existing infrastructure, potentially reducing the need for dedicated recycling systems.
‘A major step’
Maelenn Ravard, regulatory and sustainability manager at TotalEnergies Corbion, said: “Demonstrating that recycling PLA from mixed waste collection to new high-quality PLA material is a reality is a major step in fulfilling the ambitions of the PPWR in terms of packaging recyclability.”
“Achieving circularity is all about having a strong value chain and this is the strength of the ReBioCycle consortium.”
Project coordinator Kevin O’Connor, director of the BiOrbic Research Ireland Centre for Bioeconomy, said: “This is about making circularity real for industry.
“We’ve connected the full value chain in a way that supports both regulatory compliance and the transition away from fossil-based to bio-based materials.”
The consortium plans to develop and validate further PLA applications and scale the recycling process towards full industrial deployment.
The development also highlights the importance of making bio-based materials work reliably beyond the laboratory. In a recent Eco-plastics in Packaging interview, Natural Negative co-founder Dr Phoebe Heseltine discussed the challenges of bringing bio-based materials into commercial production and using them consistently on existing manufacturing lines.
