AC Biode successfully depolymerizes PET into methanol
– A technology that could turn the tide in plastic recycling –
cleantech startup based in Luxembourg and Japan, has successfully depolymerized
PET into methanol, in June 2023 in their own lab in Kyoto. It seems to be the first
time in history that this conversion has been successfully completed.
been successfully converted into Methanol at the AC Biode Laboratory in
Keihanna, Kyoto, Japan
Plastic waste is one of the most serious
global issues. According to the United Nations (2018), only around 9% of the
6.3 billion tons of plastic waste produced over the last 65 years have been
recycled. To understand this issue better we need to understand that there are
three methods to recycle plastic waste: material (mechanical) recycling, chemical
recycling (e.g. chemolysis or pyrolysis), and thermal recycling. Each process
has advantages and disadvantages.
of closed-loop recycling in ascending order with mechanical recycling at the
top
How can we create close-loop circular plastic
recycling? Pyrolysis, which converts plastic into oil is a common technology.
It is preventatively expensive with high energy requirements above 400°C. AC
Biode´s novel approach operates below 200°C. We also
don’t use expensive solvents during the process – only the catalyst and water.
Secondly, it produces methanol, a high-value
commodity, in a close-loop recycling.
Methanol can be converted to formaldehyde, the
basic building block to produce plastics and other applications.
PET can
be converted with a catalyst and water at only 180°C into Methanol
“We are starting with PET because it is one of
the easiest plastics to recycle. We already have a patent on converting PET
into terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG). Methanol is a new
breakthrough for us. Yes, there are already a couple of technologies in the
world that can depolymerize PET. However, these are still preventively
expensive. This is why you don´t see them in a large scale yet!”, said Tadashi
Kubo, Co-Founder & CEO of AC Biode. AC Biode is scaling it up and aims to
commercialize the technology within 3 years.
The technology is named “Plastalyst”.
Plastalyst got awarded at GBC in Australia, the University of Cambridge,
Klosters Forum, and was selected by SolarImpulse Foundation, Alliance to End
Plastic Waste, Think Beyond Plastic, Entrepreneurship World Cup, and more.
Plastalyst already has 1 patent granted and 2 patents
pending. The technology is not only applicable to PET but also to Polyethylene
and other plastic waste.
AC Biode 
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