GORINCHEM, The Netherlands, 19th February 2026 – Removing labels from bottles is emerging as a practical way to improve recycling efficiency—and a new embossed PLA water bottle shows how design choices can directly support circular packaging systems.
A label-free beverage bottle developed for the South Korean market uses embossed branding to replace conventional labels, eliminating one of the main obstacles to efficient bottle recycling. By integrating brand identification directly into the bottle wall, the design allows bottles to enter recycling streams without additional processing, supporting cleaner material flows and higher-quality recycled output.
The embossed approach preserves shelf recognition and visual appeal, while avoiding the need for manual label removal—supporting both operational efficiency and material purity in recycling processes.
The bottle is designed to integrate into a closed-loop PLA recycling system established by TotalEnergies Corbion and Sansu (i’m eco). Post-consumer bottles are collected, pre-processed, and chemically recycled via hydrolysis, breaking PLA down into its original building block—lactic acid monomer—which is then reused to produce new recycled Luminy® PLA (rPLA) with consistent material performance.
Made from Luminy® PLA, TotalEnergies Corbion’s biobased plastic designed for recycling and composting, the bottle demonstrates how material innovation and recycling infrastructure can be aligned to enable circular reuse at scale.
Recent independently verified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) results further support the environmental performance of this approach. According to the latest Luminy® PLA LCA, virgin PLA achieves a significantly lower carbon footprint compared with conventional plastics, while incorporating recycled PLA enables carbon-neutral and carbon-negative material options, depending on recycled content.
From early recycling trials in 2021 to the commercial launch of a label-free bottle today, the collaboration between TotalEnergies Corbion and Sansu (i’m eco) illustrates how front-end packaging design and back-end recycling innovation can be developed together to create scalable circular solutions.
Hao Ding, Global Marketing Director at TotalEnergies Corbion said: “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 brand recognition or industrial performance.”
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For more information please contact:
Rui Veras
Marketing Communications Manager
M +31 629 055 522
E rui.veras@totalenergies-corbion.com
About TotalEnergies Corbion
TotalEnergies Corbion is a global leader in the production of Polylactic Acid, better known as Luminy® PLA. The biobased nature and compostability of our PLA mean that it has a lower carbon footprint while also contributing to the circular economy through mechanical and chemical recycling. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the 50/50 joint venture between TotalEnergies Corbion operates a cutting-edge PLA facility in Rayong, Thailand. Through the application of PLA across various sectors and collaboration throughout the value chain, TotalEnergies Corbion drives widespread adoption of bioplastics, envisioning a future where it revolutionises industries and nurtures a healthier planet. Website: https://www.totalenergies-corbion.com/
About Sansu
Brand: i’m eco
Sansu Beverage Co., Ltd. is a South Korean bottled mineral water producer and one of the country’s established players in the bottled water category. Founded in the 1980s, the company is known for producing natural mineral water under its own brand and has developed a portfolio of products that emphasise quality, safety, and consumer trust in a competitive market. Sansu’s operations include mineral water production and bottling, and the brand has expanded capacity and technology investments in line with evolving consumer preferences and sustainability trends in the Korean beverage industry.
Recently, i’m eco gained international recognition for its label-free bottle “i’m eco saem (아임에코샘),” winning the main prize in the Brand & Communication Design category at the prestigious 2025 Red Dot Design Award in Germany. The product further earned the Superior Taste Award at the 2025 International Taste Institute Food & Beverage Competition in Brussels, Belgium, and the Grand Gold Prize—the highest distinction—from the internationally renowned Monde Selection.