Enzymatic PET Recycling Goes Industrial: Wankai and Carbios Launch World's First Full-Scale Plant in China

This landmark project represents the first major industrialization of Carbios's revolutionary enzymatic process in Asia and stands as the world's most significant demonstration of enzymatic PET recycling to date.

The signing ceremony in Haining was attended by senior officials from the Haining Municipal Government, the global leadership of Carbios, and Wankai New Materials' executive team. The event also drew representatives from a consortium of global brands and investors, including PETRONAS, Michelin, H&M, Nongfu Spring, Geely Group, Itochu Corporation, and Tims Coffee, underscoring the strong market demand for advanced circular materials.

Closing the Loop: A Biological Revolution for Plastics

Carbios's proprietary enzymatic technology, a core component of France's "France 2030" national innovation strategy, depolymerizes post-consumer PET waste—such as bottles and textiles—into its core molecular building blocks: high-purity purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and monoethylene glycol (MEG). This biological process, which operates under mild conditions, enables true closed-loop recycling, transforming complex waste streams back into virgin-quality rPET suitable for food-grade and high-performance applications.

The technology has received critical regulatory validation, including a favorable evaluation from the U.S. FDA for its recycled monomers. Carbios has already secured long-term supply agreements with major global brands like L'Oréal and L'Occitane en Provence, demonstrating clear commercial traction and confidence in the quality of its output.

A Partnership of Technology and Scale: Wankai's Industrial Expertise

Wankai New Materials brings to the partnership decades of deep expertise in polyester manufacturing and a vertically integrated business model spanning textiles and PET bottle resin. As the operational lead for the joint venture, Wankai will be responsible for engineering, construction, and plant management, leveraging its robust industrial platform and global supply chain to translate Carbios's laboratory-proven innovation into efficient, large-scale production.

The plant's output will meet the stringent requirements of industries from packaging and apparel to automotive, providing brands with a consistent supply of high-quality, low-carbon-footprint rPET and strengthening Asia's position in the premium recycled materials market.

A Foundation for Growth: Blueprint for a Circular Materials Hub

The 50,000-ton facility is the foundational step in a long-term strategic roadmap. The partners plan phased capacity expansions, targeting 300,000 and 500,000 tons in the coming years, with the ambition of creating a million-ton-scale enzymatic recycling cluster in Haining. This vision aligns with accelerating global corporate sustainability commitments and addresses the structural shortage of high-quality recycled polymers.

The collaboration between Wankai New Materials and Carbios merges cutting-edge European biotechnology with Chinese industrial speed and scale. It marks a decisive move from pilot-scale promise to industrial reality, setting a new benchmark for the future of plastic circularity.