Biopolymers and recycling specialist Carbios (Saint-Beauzire / France; www.carbios.fr) and cosmetics company L’Oréal (Clichy / France; www.loreal.com) have agreed on jointly launching Carbios’ recycling technology of plastics on an industrial scale. With this goal in mind, the two companies will work together over a five-year period as part of a consortium that will be open to companies from other industries too.

Carbios has developed an enzymatic recycling process that breaks down polymers back into the monomers of which they were originally made (see Plasteurope.com of 22.09.2016). After the completion of a separation and purification process, the monomers can then be re-processed into plastics.

"We are confident that more international companies will join the project in the coming months to help us bring about a fundamental shift in the way we produce the plastics of tomorrow," said Jean-Claude Lumaret, CEO of Carbios.

Members of the consortium, including L’Oréal, will benefit from further developing Carbios’ solutions, as they are first in line to receive newly available units. Notably, the French cosmetics company will employ the technology during the design phase for new packaging, thereby promoting the circular economy. L’Oréal has also set out ambitious sustainable development goals for 2020 across the group's value chain through its "Sharing Beauty with All" programme.

The company says that improving packaging is a key driver for its sustainability goals. Launched in 2016, various L’Oréal group brand products have incorporated more recycled plastic into packaging. Except for the caps and pumps, Biolage R.A.W., Aura Botanica and Botanicals Freshcare shampoo bottles are composed of 100% recycled plastic.