Polyester manufacturer SASA has signed a letter of intent (LoI) for its acquisition of a licence for CARBIOS' polyethylene terephthalate (PET) biorecycling technology.  

Under this agreement, SASA will construct and operate an enzymatic depolymerisation plant in Adana, Turkey.  

The facility, with a capacity of 100,000 tonnes per annum (tpa), would use prepared PET waste to produce polyester pellets, fibres, and textiles. 

The licensing agreement between CARBIOS and SASA is poised to address the pressing need for sustainable textile production.  

SASA's potential integration of CARBIOS' PET biorecycling technology aligns with its ambition to become one of Europe's largest high-value-added polyester suppliers.  

This move would complement SASA's existing operations, which span the entire value chain from PET production to fibre and textile conversion and support its transformation strategy focused on circularity and competitiveness. 

It also comes as Europe is pushing for a regulation to incorporate at least 20% recycled content in packaging by 2030. 

CARBIOS' enzymatic depolymerisation technology represents a breakthrough in PET plastic and textile waste recycling, offering a solvent-free process that yields virgin-like products. 

CARBIOS CEO Emmanuel Ladent said: “With the creation of a major PET yarn and fibre manufacturing capacity on a European scale, we believe Turkey will play a pivotal role in the expanding textile market.

"Partnering with SASA, a leader in polyester production, is a natural fit for CARBIOS’ international ambitions for licensing our biorecycling technology and will contribute to a more circular and sustainable textile industry.” 

This LoI with SASA follows CARBIOS' recent announcement of a similar intent with Zhink Group in China, demonstrating the growing global interest in CARBIOS' biorecycling technology. 

CARBIOS is also constructing the world's first industrial-scale enzymatic PET recycling plant in Longlaville, France.  

The proposed facility in Turkey would process PET waste that conventional recycling technologies cannot, furthering the reach of CARBIOS' innovative recycling solutions. 

In May this year, CARBIOS signed a key agreement with German waste management specialist Hündgen Entsorgungs to supply CARBIOS’ upcoming PET biorecycling plant with feedstock.