The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted a patent to French chemistry company Carbios (Saint-Beauzire; www.carbios.fr) for its proprietary PET recycling process – see Plasteurope.com of 01.03.2019. The patent recognises Carbios for inventing a recycling process that uses certain enzymes to depolymerise PET back into its basic monomers, which can then be converted into polymers and used in new plastic products, such as bottles and packaging.

Carbios, which filed for the patent in November 2013, said the patent is the first that the US has granted for this particular method of recycling. It protects Carbios’ intellectual property through 2033.

According to the French firm, North America (including the US, Canada and Mexico) produces 7% (4.6m t/y) and consumes 21% (14.6m t/y) of the world’s PET. Carbios said the patent strengthens its competitive position for recycling PET and paves the way for expansion within the North American market.

Besides this latest patent, Carbios holds 98 titles worldwide, representing 29 patent families, six of which give full protection for its proprietary recycling process and five of which are related to PET-degrading enzymes.