ReBioCycle Demonstrates Closed-Loop Recycling of PLA from Mixed Plastic Waste

The EU-funded ReBioCycle project has demonstrated a process for recovering polylactic acid (PLA) from mixed plastic waste and converting it back into recycled PLA with properties equivalent to virgin material, according to industry reports. The project consortium said the results confirm the technical feasibility of integrating PLA recycling into existing waste collection and sorting systems.

At pilot scale and in an operational environment, the consortium used existing sorting technologies to separate PLA from mixed plastic waste at a purity suitable for further processing. The recovered PLA was then chemically broken down into lactic acid using hydrolysis technology developed by Torwash. TotalEnergies Corbion subsequently repolymerised the recovered lactic acid into PLA with properties equivalent to virgin-grade material.

The demonstration connects sorting, chemical recycling and repolymerisation across the value chain, rather than testing the individual stages only under laboratory conditions. The approach could provide an additional recycling route for PLA packaging collected alongside other plastic waste.

The results come as packaging producers in Europe face tighter recyclability requirements under the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which sets a target for all packaging to be recyclable by 2030. ReBioCycle said its process is designed to work with existing waste-management infrastructure, potentially reducing the need for separate collection systems for PLA.

Project coordinator Kevin O’Connor said the demonstration showed that the different stages of the recycling chain could be connected at an industrially relevant scale. “This is about making circularity real for industry,” he said, adding that the project links the value chain in support of regulatory requirements and the shift toward bio-based materials.

Maelenn Ravard, Regulatory and Sustainability Manager at TotalEnergies Corbion, said the demonstration of converting PLA recovered from mixed waste into new high-quality PLA represents progress toward the recyclability objectives of the PPWR. She also pointed to the consortium’s integrated value chain as a key factor in developing a circular recycling process.

The consortium will next work on applications for the recycled PLA and further scale the process toward industrial deployment. No commercial-scale capacity or investment figure was disclosed.

Source: ReBioCycle

SUNSHINE Spotlight: ReBioCycle has demonstrated a pilot-scale route to sort PLA from mixed plastic waste, recover lactic acid and produce recycled PLA with properties equivalent to virgin material.