Wankai New Materials deepens cooperation with Carbios to boost plastic recycling

Against growing global demands for sustainability, plastic recycling is undergoing profound transformation. Wankai New Materials, a leader in polyester materials, has been a key driver of PET recycling efforts.

In 2024, its controlling shareholder ZHINK Group partnered with Carbios, signing a cooperation agreement to build China's first bio-recycling plant using Carbios' enzymatic recycling technology-paving the way for innovative plastic recycling solutions.

2025 has seen unprecedented opportunities in renewable resources, fueled by strong national and local policies promoting recycling systems and circular utilization. Wankai has accordingly stepped up investment in recycling operations.

On July 21, a Wankai team led by ZHINK Chairman Shen Zhigang visited France for in-depth talks with Carbios. They inspected Carbios' cutting-edge facilities, including enzyme labs, bio-enzymatic hydrolysis demo plants, quality testing centers, and new enzyme R&D lines-gaining firsthand insight into its technological prowess and rigorous research standards. This deepened Wankai's confidence in the partnership, reinforcing their joint commitment to advancing sustainable recycling.

Recent inspections underscored the unique strengths of Carbios' enzymatic technology in PET recycling. Unlike traditional mechanical methods-plagued by downgrading, limited cycles, and struggles with complex waste (colored, multi-layer, textile)-Carbios' solvent-free, mild process breaks down hard-to-recycle PET directly into core components (PTA, MEG). It delivers strong economics and cuts CO? emissions by 90% vs. virgin plastic production, a major sustainability leap.

Wankai New Materials, a polyester leader with robust production capabilities, and Carbios, with its innovative enzymatic solutions, aim to leverage complementary strengths to unlock value in post-consumer PET recycling. Both parties will deepen talks on cooperation details and implementation plans, targeting industrialization of enzymatic recycling to boost global plastic circularity and support net-zero goals.