Total Corbion PLA (Gorinchem / The Netherlands; www.total-corbion.com) has launched a family of recycled PLA grades produced from chemically recycled feedstock. The “Luminy” rPLA range is partially made from post-industrial and post-consumer PLA waste and displays the same properties and characteristics as virgin Luminy grades, according to Total Corbion. Additionally, the recycled bioplastic enjoys the same regulatory approvals as the virgin grade, meaning that the brand owners can benefit from having the original food contact and other certifications in place, the company said.

“This ability to now efficiently receive, repurpose and resupply PLA is a further demonstration of the sustainability of our product and the demonstration of our commitment to enable the circular economy through value chain partnership,” said CEO Thomas Philipon.

Total Corbion plans to initially supply grades with 20% recycled content. Senior marketing director François de Bie said rPLA “will grow to be a significant part of our overall sales revenue” as production ramps up.

The company anticipates that growing demand for rPLA will also boost the collection, sorting and reprocessing of post-use PLA for both mechanical and chemical recycling. De Bie said Total Corbion is actively seeking to buy more waste PLA and is looking for additional partners worldwide. Belgium’s Looplife (Hulshout; www.looplife-polymers.eu) and South Korea’s Sansu are among the first of Total Corbion’s partners to support the collection, sorting and cleaning of PLA waste.