Total Energy Corbion and Sansu (i'm eco) have recently announced the upcoming launch of a label-free polylactic acid (PLA) bottle in the South Korean market. Made from Luminy® PLA, a product of the French group, the bottle features no traditional labels; brand logos and text are embossed.
This bottle is designed specifically for the closed-loop recycling system developed by both companies. After disposal, it undergoes a depolymerization process. The label-free design eliminates the need for subsequent label removal, resulting in a cleaner recycling process and higher-quality reuse.
After recycling, the bottle undergoes pretreatment followed by a hydrolysis process for chemical recovery. This process breaks down PLA into its original raw material, lactic acid monomers, which are then reused to produce recycled Luminy® PLA (rPLA), maintaining consistent performance and quality in the final product. The recycling technology was validated four years ago before the two parties decided to bring the bottle to market.
In areas with specialized industrial composting facilities, this new polylactic acid (PLA) bottle can also be organically recycled.
Hao Ding, Global Marketing Director of Total Energy Corbin, stated, "The market is increasingly focused on the recyclability, carbon reduction performance, and consumer acceptance of materials. This project demonstrates the enormous potential of PLA-based solutions – meeting product functional requirements while contributing to broader circular economy goals, without compromising brand recognition or industrial production performance."
