A life cycle assessment (LCA) published by PLA specialist TotalEnergies Corbion (Gorinchem, the Netherlands; www.totalenergies-corbion.com) regarding the chemical reclaim of its Luminy polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymer states that the recycling of PLA as a production process has a lower impact compared to its production from virgin feedstock. Luminy PLA is a bio-based and biodegradable polymer made from renewable resources.

Specifically, the global warming potential (GWP) of Luminy 30% rPLA is 0.19 kg CO₂/kg of PLA, considering its biogenic carbon content, whereas virgin Luminy PLA emits 0.51 kg CO₂/kg of PLA, the company said. 

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The LCA considered seven impact categories, including GWP, water consumption, and land use, but emphasised the role of biogenic carbon content in PLA. Depolymerising PLA via hydrolysis allows a longer storage of biogenic carbon, which is originally from the atmosphere, the company said.

Notably, when factoring in biogenic content, the GWP of 30% rPLA is reduced by 300 kg CO₂/t PLA compared to virgin PLA, marking a significant step towards achieving global climate targets, the company added.