France-based chemical company Carbios has formalised several targets in its newly released 2021 sustainability report. The environmental objectives include using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method to maximise circularity and aim for the lowest carbon impact and commitment to depolymerising 60 tons of PET—the equivalent of about 3.2 million plastic bottles or four million food trays—in 2023 at the demonstration plant in Clermont-Ferrand.

The report outlines Carbios’ commitment to developing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives that go beyond the industrial development of its plastics bio-recycling technologies. Carbios’ sustainability strategy is based on three pillars (governance and ethics, the environment, social and societal issues) divided into 22 priority material challenges. Each one has led to the implementation of a dedicated policy and the monitoring of specific KPIs to anchor sustainable development in the day-to-day operations and at the heart of governance, according to a press release by Carbios.

Carbios’ advanced biological solution to move the plastic and textile industries towards circularity involves keeping existing plastics at their highest value for as long as possible (almost infinitely) while reducing CO2 emissions. Social objectives include contributing to local economic development in France. The world’s first industrial-scale enzymatic PET recycling plant in Longlaville will create 150 direct and indirect jobs, added the release.

“This first sustainability report aims to communicate in full transparency our CSR strategy, values, and ambitions to contribute, with all our stakeholders, to building a sustainable future and a circular economy. We commit ourselves to publishing a sustainability report annually, as we strive to continually strengthen our business practices to have a positive impact on the world and our fellow citizens,” said Emmanuel Ladent, chief executive officer of Carbios.