Beijing, 4th December 2025 – Held alongside the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Degradable Plastics Professional Committee of the China Plastics Processing Industry Association, the 11th International Conference on Bio-based and Biodegradable Materials Technology and Applications, taking place November 13-15, is one of China’s leading forums for bio-based innovation, bringing together global experts, industry leaders, and policymakers to discuss new technologies, market trends, and circular solutions. TotalEnergies Corbion — a global leader in PLA — was invited as a keynote speaker in the session on Scalable Production, Processing, and End-Use Applications.
Representing TotalEnergies Corbion, Mr. Chow Pin Tan, Vice President of Sales and Business Development, took the stage with his keynote “Planting the Future with Polylactic Acid – New Solutions for Climate Challenges.” He introduced the audience to the story behind Luminy® PLA and the company’s drive to scale sustainable materials worldwide. Mr. Tan shared how Luminy® PLA brings together strong performance with viable environmental benefits to tackle climate change — being certified 100% biobased, recyclable, and industrially compostable — and illustrated how these qualities are already helping industries move toward lower-carbon, circular solutions.
Backed by case studies and third-party data, Mr. Tan noted, “Compared to conventional fossil-based plastics, Luminy® PLA can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85%. Furthermore, recycled Luminy® PLA (rPLA) containing 30% recycled content can achieve carbon neutrality, while products made from 100% recycled material can even attain a negative carbon footprint – strongly aligning with the deep emission reduction goals advocated by COP30.”
During the application case study segment, Mr. Tan highlighted innovative outcomes achieved with Luminy® PLA across multiple sectors. In 3D printing, the material has become a mainstream choice thanks to its excellent printing performance and surface quality. In packaging, Luminy® PLA serves as a reliable eco-alternative for food containers and flexible or rigid packaging. In textiles and nonwovens, its applications have expanded from apparel and high-performance fabrics to air purification equipment, continuously pushing the boundaries of bio-based material innovation. In automotive manufacturing, the material’s superior UV resistance, high heat tolerance, and hydrolysis resistance have enabled its successful use in interior components and functional parts.
Innovation in circular product design was also emphasized, as Mr. Tan introduced the label-free PLA bottle co-developed with South Korean partner Sansu. The collaboration, which began in 2021, focuses on improving recycling efficiency and building scalable circular systems for PLA. By integrating branding through embossing instead of labels, the new bottle removes the manual label-removal step and streamlines the flaking and washing processes. The design has received growing public attention, supported this year by an endorsement from well-known South Korean actress Son Ye-jin, helping boost recognition of renewable materials.
Mr. Tan also shared achievements from collaborations across the value chain. TotalEnergies Corbion is working with USEON to advance the development and commercial application of expanded PLA (EPLA) molded products, offering a bio-based alternative to traditional EPS foam markets. Partnerships with Xiamen Changsu Industrial promote innovation in BOPLA biaxially-oriented PLA films for flexible packaging, while cooperation with Kexcelled and others has enabled the development of high-performance 3D printing filaments. These collaborations fully demonstrate the important role of industrial chain synergy in driving bioplastics innovation.
Notably, TotalEnergies Corbion has achieved chemical recycling of PLA through hydrolysis depolymerization technology. The resulting recycled PLA (rPLA) retains performance comparable to virgin material and has received food contact certification, providing a reliable technical pathway for a circular plastics economy.
“These practices fully demonstrate that bio-based materials are already technologically and commercially competitive with traditional materials,” Mr. Tan stressed. “Against the backdrop of COP30’s push for global climate action, we must scale up bio-based solutions based on data and facts.”
The conference brought together experts, scholars, and corporate representatives from the global bio-based materials community to discuss the latest technological advances and market trends. Participants agreed that bio-based materials represented by Luminy® PLA will play an increasingly important role in the global low-carbon transition.
As a world-leading bioplastics company, TotalEnergies Corbion remains committed to advancing plastic industry sustainability through technological innovation. The company will continue to collaborate with all value chain partners in responding to the COP30 climate action initiative and accelerating the transition toward a sustainable future.