Axens, IFP Energies Nouvelles (IFPEN), and Jeplan have agreed to co-develop and commercialize a process to recycle all types of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste, including bottles, films, trays, and polyester textiles. The new process, called Rewind PET, depolymerize PET waste into bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) monomer which is ready to be used to produce any type of PET, such as fibres and food-grade resins. Rewind PET also involves specific purification steps which remove impurities from PET waste, including all organic and inorganic compounds.
Jeplan operates a 22,000 tons/year Pet Refine Technology plant in Japan which chemically recycles PET bottles on an industrial scale. The company also started up the 2,000 tons/year Kitakyushu Hibikinada Plant (KHP) in 2018 to demonstrate textile recycling technology. In the last six years, IFPEN and Axens have also developed a process to produce clear food-grade PET by recycling and upgrading coloured and opaque post-consumer PET bottles.
Now the three companies are putting together their expertise to accelerate technology development. They aim at licensing the Rewind PET process to worldwide clients by the end of 2022. In the meantime, the partnership will work closely with the PET industry to validate the quality of the recycled PET. They will also ensure the safety and viability of the new process.
