Bobine

Bobine is a cleantech company addressing the challenge of plastic waste through a specialized chemical recycling process. Founded in Strasbourg, France, in 2023, the company is the result of three years of research at the ICPEES laboratory, a joint unit of the CNRS (French National Research Council) and the University of Strasbourg. The core technology, for which an exclusive license was granted by SATT Conectus, originated from research by inventors Charlotte Pham and Cuong Pham-Huu. The company's CEO is Vincent Simonneau.

Bobine's business focuses on the chemical recycling of polyolefins (polyethylene and polypropylene), which constitute 45% of global plastic production and are often difficult to recycle mechanically. The company targets the market for "hard-to-recycle" plastic waste that would otherwise be incinerated or sent to landfill. By transforming this waste, Bobine produces olefins—the building blocks for plastic—that are of virgin quality and suitable for food-grade packaging. This directly addresses stricter European regulations, such as the mandate for 25-50% recycled content in contact-sensitive packaging by 2040.

The company's process utilizes a combination of heterogeneous catalysis and electromagnetic induction, which sets it apart from traditional methods. A key feature is its ability to produce olefins without requiring energy-intensive steam crackers, a standard in petrochemical facilities. Bobine asserts that this approach leads to a 45% reduction in production costs and a 60% smaller carbon footprint compared to other chemical recycling methods. In May 2024, Bobine partnered with the Michelin Group, joining its Center for Sustainable Materials to accelerate development. The company launched a pilot unit in the summer of 2024, is developing a demonstration unit for 2025/2026, and has raised €2 million in a recent funding round.

Keywords: chemical recycling, polyolefin recycling, plastic waste solutions, cleantech, circular economy, heterogeneous catalysis, electromagnetic induction, sustainable materials, hard-to-recycle plastics, virgin-quality polymers, olefins production, food-grade recycled plastic, waste-to-plastic, advanced recycling, decarbonization, green chemistry, polymer circularity, CNRS spinoff, Vincent Simonneau, Michelin partnership