Birch Biosciences enters into Global Patent License Agreement with NREL to advance enzymatic plastic recycling process

“This licensing agreement represents a significant step forward in our mission to enable a circular plastic economy using biological solutions,” said Dr. Johan Kers, co-founder and CEO of Birch Biosciences. “NREL’s process complements our enzymatic recycling platform perfectly and will help us achieve scalable, low-cost plastic recycling.”

“NREL is pleased to partner with Birch Biosciences to bring this technology to market,” said Dr. Gregg Beckham, senior research fellow at NREL. “This is a great example of how national laboratories and industry can collaborate to address plastics recycling challenges with real-world impact.”

Plastic pollution is a growing challenge, with more than 400 million tons of plastic produced globally each year and only a small fraction effectively recycled. Enzymatic recycling offers a promising alternative to traditional methods, avoiding the quality degradation of mechanical recycling and the high temperatures and toxic solvents often required in chemical recycling methods. NREL’s chemical process works with the Birch enzyme platform to depolymerize untreated PET in hours under mild conditions, making it more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.

This agreement underscores both organizations’ commitment to advancing sustainable technologies and creating viable market solutions that support a circular economy.

_______________

view original source: Businesswire

_______________

www.birchbiosciences.com