LONDON, United Kingdom, 10th March 2025 – TotalEnergies Corbion, the only company globally commercializing chemically recycled PLA (rPLA), will showcase its pioneering approach to sustainable plastics at The Economist Sustainability Week 2025 in London. With the Global Plastics Treaty set to redefine plastic production and waste management, TotalEnergies Corbion’s leadership in recycling PLA at scale is demonstrating how businesses can meet new regulatory demands while maintaining sustainability certifications, including food-contact approval.
As the only commercial recycler of PLA, TotalEnergies Corbion offers rPLA in 30% and 100% recycled grades, using its low-energy hydrolysis process at its Rayong, Thailand facility. This approach presents a viable alternative to conventional plastic recycling, minimizing carbon footprints and ensuring that PLA remains fully circular. The Global Plastics Treaty will drive the shift towards sustainable materials, and TotalEnergies Corbion is positioning PLA as a key enabler in the circular economy.
Speaking at The Economist Sustainability Week 2025, Tech for Change track, on March 11th, 3pm, CEO Thomas Philipon will discuss the role of bioplastics, PLA in parrticular, in meeting the treaty’s objectives. "The Global Plastics Treaty represents a turning point for the industry, requiring innovative solutions that support circularity," said Philipon. "TotalEnergies Corbion is committed to enabling businesses to transition from fossil-based plastics to fully recyclable, biobased and industrial compostable alternatives, ensuring compliance with upcoming regulations while reducing plastic pollution. Our goal is to lead by example, demonstrating that recycling PLA at scale is not only possible but commercially viable and essential for a circular economy."
TotalEnergies Corbion continues to advocate for policy recognition of PLA as a fully circular solution, aligning with the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and global sustainability targets. For further details, visit: https://events.economist.com
Thomas Philipon is the CEO of TotalEnergies Corbion. The company manufactures and sells Poly Lactic Acid (PLA), one of the leading and fast-growing bioplastics on the market. Contributing to reduce our dependency on fossil resources and lowering carbon emissions, Luminy® PLA is a certified 100% biobased, recyclable, compostable and biodegradable polymer alternative. He drives the company to be a true enabler for the circular economy journey.
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To book an interview with Thomas Philipon or more information please contact:
Rui Veras
Marketing Communications Manager
M +31 629 055 522
E rui.veras@totalenergies-corbion.com
About TotalEnergies Corbion
TotalEnergies Corbion is a global leader in driving sustainable innovation with Poly Lactic Acid (PLA), reducing carbon footprints while fostering circularity. The biobased nature and compostability of our PLA mean it has a lower carbon footprint while also contributing to the circular economy through mechanical and chemical recycling. The 50/50 joint venture between TotalEnergies and Corbion, headquartered in the Netherlands, operates a cutting-edge PLA facility in Rayong, Thailand. Through the application of PLA across various sectors and collaboration throughout the value chain, TotalEnergies Corbion drives widespread adoption of bioplastics, envisioning a future where it revolutionizes industries and nurtures a healthier planet.
Website: www.totalenergies-corbion.com
About TotalEnergies
TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies on a global scale: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables, and electricity. Our 105,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, cleaner, more reliable, and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people. www.totalenergies.com
About Corbion
Corbion is a sustainable ingredients company dedicated to preserving what matters, including food and food production, health, and the planet. We specialize in lactic acid, lactic acid derivatives, food preservation solutions, functional blends, and algae ingredients, using our deep application and product knowledge to propel nature’s ingenuity through science. With more than a century of experience, we continue working side-by-side with our customers to make our cutting-edge technologies work for them. Leveraging our advanced capabilities in fermentation and preservation technology, we help customers differentiate their products in diverse markets ranging from food and animal nutrition to home & personal care, pharmaceuticals, electronics, medical devices, and bioplastics. Corbion is listed on Euronext Amsterdam.
The Economist Sustainability Week 2025
Thomas Philipon
The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
Interviewed by Katherine Stewart, Senior manager, Policy & Insights
Track: Tech for change, Day 1: Tuesday March 11th 2025 | London Time: 3.00pm (20min)
Framing the Plastics Challenge
Escalating Plastic Production and Pollution: Global plastic production has surged from 258 million
tons in 2000 to 507 million tons in 2019 (Monterey Bay Aquarium). This rapid increase has led to
significant environmental challenges, with over 52 million tons of plastic waste entering the
environment annually, predominantly from 20 countries (Home | Natural History Museum). Plastic
pollution adversely affects marine life, ecosystems, and contributes to climate change through
substantial greenhouse gas emissions (US EPA).
Thomas Philipon is interested in the value of collaboration and partnerships in achieving
sustainability goals and driving meaningful change globally. He focusses on how TotalEnergies
Corbion's collaborative initiatives with stakeholders, governments, and NGOs to advance
sustainability agendas, foster innovation, and create shared value for society and the planet.
Passionate about sustainability, he has been innovating and growing specialty businesses in the
polymer industries across the globe. Having lived and worked in 3 continents, Thomas is a global
senior business leader with more than 20 years of extensive experience in the material, agrochemical
and pharmaceutical industries. Currently based in Gorinchem, The Netherlands, he holds a Chemical
Engineering Degree from CPE Lyon (France), a Chemistry master’s degree from University of
Houston (USA) and a MBA from IESE (Spain).
Key Discussion Points
• The Global Plastics Treaty & Its Impact on Business: The treaty aims to introduce
legally binding rules covering plastic production, design, and waste management.
Businesses must adapt to new regulations, including restrictions on fossil-based plastics
and mandates for sustainable alternatives such as PLA. This shift aligns with growing
global efforts to address plastic pollution. In real-life industrial composting facilities,
EN13432 certified Luminy® PLA can compost in less than 22 days, faster than orange
peels. After full biodegradation, PLA does not leave behind persistent microplastics –
as concluded by the 2024 meta-study by HYDRA Marine Sciences, PLA will hydrolyze.
• The Role of PLA in a Circular Economy: Luminy® PLA is a bioplastic made from 100%
renewable sources like sugarcane. It provides a 75% lower carbon footprint than fossil-
based plastics by storing biogenic carbon instead of adding CO? to the atmosphere.
Luminy® PLA is both mechanically and chemically recyclable, ensuring that carbon
remains in the system, making it fully circular. Additionally, it is industrially
compostable, where PLA tea bags degrade in only 22 days, faster than orange
peels. Industrial composting is an important end-of-life solution, particularly for food-
contaminated packaging, helping divert organic waste from landfills and reducing
methane emissions.
• Economic Viability and Profitability of PLA: Adopting Luminy® PLA can lead to long-
term cost savings for businesses. As global regulations increasingly favor sustainable
materials, companies investing in PLA are positioning themselves ahead of regulatory
changes, potentially avoiding future compliance costs. Additionally, consumer demand
for eco-friendly products is rising, allowing businesses to capture new market segments
and enhance brand loyalty by integrating Luminy® PLA into their product lines.
Transitioning to PLA mostly does not require acquiring new machinery, as the
existing equipment can be adapted with the support of our experts.
• Real-World Applications of PLA: Luminy® PLA is already being used across industries,
including food packaging, compostable coffee capsules, disposable medical
applications, personal hygiene, 3D printing, apparel and durable goods. Brands like
PepsiCo, MacDonalds and Danone are incorporating PLA into their packaging to meet
sustainability targets and consumer demand.
• Scaling Bioplastics: The bioplastics industry global production capacity is expected to
grow by 300% from 2023 to 2028. Operating since 2017, our world-class PLA plant in
Thailand has a 75KT production capacity - the Luminy® PLA produced is of the finest
quality. TotalEnergies Corbion follows the highest quality and safety standards, and the
sugarcane feedstock is sourced ethically from local producers. More than just selling
Luminy® PLA, TotalEnergies Corbion teams work together with our customers to
develop tailored solutions to fulfil their products requirements.
• Advanced Recycling: Beyond mechanical recycling, PLA can undergo advanced
recycling through hydrolysis—an energy-efficient chemical process that preserves
carbon integrity while maintaining food-contact safety for the recycled material. PLA is
also easily separable from other plastics using Near Infrared (NIR) technology by
TOMRA, which has achieved a 97% success rate in isolating PLA from mixed plastic
waste.
• The Need for Regulatory Support & Infrastructure: Policy developments and EU
regulations plays an important role in placing further incentives for businesses to make
the switch from conventional plastics to bioplastics. The EU’s Packaging and Packaging
Waste Regulation (PPWR) mandates that all packaging be recyclable by 2030 and
recycled at scale by 2035. The Global Plastics Treaty should recognize PLA as an
enabler of circular economy solutions. Italy is a leading example of how composting
infrastructure can work effectively, with over 300 composting facilities driving organic
waste recovery and producing biogas energy.
Conclusion: The Global Plastics Treaty represents a turning point for the industry. PLA provides
a practical, scalable solution for companies transitioning away from fossil-based plastics.
Investing in PLA today ensures compliance with emerging regulations and strengthens a
company’s sustainability leadership in the evolving plastics landscape. PLA is a scalable,
proven solution to reduce plastic pollution while ensuring circularity.
Historically associated with single-use packaging, PLA is now used in durable goods, thanks to
advancements in Luminy® PLA's heat resistance, mechanical strength, and weatherability
through compounding. These developments make Luminy® PLA suitable for robust
applications such as cosmetic jars, electronic components, and dishwasher-safe products.
Additionally, innovations like flame-retardant and high-impact-resistant Luminy® PLA
compounds are opening new possibilities in technically demanding areas where safety and
durability are paramount.
Examples of PLA adoption success:
• Sulapac integrates Luminy® PLA recycled biodegradable biopolymers into cosmetic
packaging. Sulapac plans collecting and delivering waste materials to TotalEnergies Corbion
for recycling, thereby closing the loop and promoting the circular economy.
• Korean water producer Sansu, a partner of TotalEnergies Corbion, transforms Luminy® PLA
into products like cups and bottles. And is currently developing an embossed label water
bottle made of Luminy® PLA bioplastics to speed adoption of recycled PLA as feedstock.
• PRECISION ECO™, by PADM Medical Group is the world’s first PLA, procedural mask with
ear loops for use in healthcare and medical settings[2] in the USA[3]
. Most disposable
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can take up to 450 years to decompose in the natural
environments.
• Bioworks, PlaX™ developed a fabric that blends cotton with plant-based PolyLactic Acid
(PLA), derived from sugarcane. Bioworks is a leading Japanese innovator in sustainable
textiles.
• Adhesive tapes made of Changsu’s BiONLY® replace conventional fossil-based material as
new regulations in China encourage the adoption of biodegradable materials by 2025.
Another example from Changsu is flexible packaging developed used for China’s M&M’s.
• Danimer Scientific, Inc. and TotalEnergies Corbion, developed a compostable coffee pod
biopolymer that complies with the proposed EU packaging regulations. Containing a blend
of Danimer’s signature polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Nodax® and TotalEnergies Corbion’s
Luminy® High Heat polylactic acid (PLA) material, have been certified by TUV as home
compostable.
About TotalEnergies Corbion
TotalEnergies Corbion is a global leader in driving sustainable innovation with Poly Lactic Acid (PLA),
reducing carbon footprint while fostering circularity. The biobased nature and composability of our
PLA mean that it has a lower carbon footprint while also contributing to the circular economy through
mechanical and chemical recycling. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the 50/50 joint venture
between TotalEnergies and Corbion operates a cutting-edge PLA facility in Rayong, Thailand.
Through the application of PLA across various sectors and collaboration throughout the value
chain, TotalEnergies Corbion drives widespread adoption of bioplastics, envisioning a future where
it revolutionizes industries and nurtures a healthier planet.
Website: https://www.totalenergies-corbion.com/
About TotalEnergies
TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies on a global scale: oil and biofuels, natural gas
and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our 105,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, cleaner,
more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable
development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people.
Website: www.totalenergies.com
About Corbion
Corbion is the global market leader in lactic acid and its derivatives, and a leading supplier of emulsifiers, functional enzyme blends,
minerals, vitamins, and algae ingredients. We use our unique expertise in fermentation and other processes to deliver sustainable
solutions for the preservation of food and food production, health, and our planet. For over 100 years, we have been uncompromising
in our commitment to safety, quality, innovation and performance. Drawing on our deep application and product knowledge, we work
side-by-side with customers to make our cutting-edge technologies work for them. Our solutions help differentiate products in markets
such as food, home & personal care, animal nutrition, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and bioplastics. Website: www.corbion.com
