PLA-Based Beverage Bottles

TotalEnergies Corbion has launched an embossed, label-free PLA bottle for South Korea’s beverage market in partnership with Sansu. By integrating branding directly into the bottle wall, the design eliminates the need for traditional labels, simplifying recycling and improving material purity.

The bottles are collected and chemically recycled via hydrolysis, breaking down the PLA into lactic acid to produce new recycled Luminy PLA (rPLA). The closed-loop system offers a practical way to reduce virgin plastic use, lower emissions, and support circular packaging without affecting the overall performance of the material.

“As markets increasingly focus on recyclability, carbon performance, and consumer acceptance, this project demonstrates the potential of PLA-based solutions to meet functional requirements while supporting broader circular economy objectives - without compromising on brand recognition or industrial performance," said Hao Ding, global marketing director at TotalEnergies Corbion.

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