Avantium N.V., a leader in renewable and circular polymer materials, announces that its innovative plantbased plastic PEF (polyethylene furanoate), branded as releaf®, has received official approval for recycling within the Japanese PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle stream by the Council for PET Bottle Recycling (CPBR). Avantium earned the approval for the use of releaf®, produced with Avantium’s YXY® Technology, in a multilayer PET bottle. This approval represents an important condition for the adoption of PEF in Japan’s beverage packaging industry.
CPBR is the Japanese industry body responsible for promoting and evaluating the recycling of PET bottles. CPBR sets voluntary design guidelines for PET bottles and conducts thorough evaluations of new materials to ensure compatibility with Japan’s advanced recycling systems. Approval from CPBR is essential for any new material to be accepted into the Japanese PET bottle recycling stream, helping maintain the integrity and efficiency of the country’s recycling infrastructure.
Following a rigorous evaluation process, CPBR has assessed Avantium’s PEF, marketed under the releaf® brand, for use as a barrier layer in multilayer PET bottles. The CPBR report confirms that PEF can be safely and effectively recycled within the existing PET stream at concentrations up to 10% weight. The material met key tests for physical, chemical, and processability criteria, and complies with Japan’s Positive List system for food contact plastics, the Standards and Criteria for Foods and Additives issued by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, as well as FDA regulations. The overall recyclability rating for PEF-containing bottles was ranked “A”, indicating full suitability for bottle-to-bottle recycling. The CPBR approval in Japan follows similar recycling recognitions in Europe (by the European PET Bottle Platform) and the USA (by the Association of Plastic Recyclers). These endorsements empower brand owners and converters to confidently adopt PEF as a barrier layer, supporting the beverage industry’s transition to renewable, high-performance, and recyclable packaging.
Yuzhong Chen, Business Development Manager Asia of Avantium, said: “We sincerely thank all the companies in Japan that supported Avantium during the CPBR assessment. Their collaboration was vital in demonstrating that releaf® can be successfully recycled within Japan’s PET bottle stream while preserving high material quality. This joint effort underscores a shared commitment to advancing plant-based, recyclable packaging solutions in Japan.”
About Avantium
Avantium is a pioneering commercial-stage company focused on renewable & circular polymer materials. Avantium develops and commercializes innovative technologies for the production of materials based on sustainable carbon feedstocks, i.e. carbon from biomass or carbon from the air (CO2). The most advanced technology is the YXY® Technology that catalytically converts plant-based sugars into FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid), the key building block for the sustainable plastic PEF (polyethylene furanoate). PEF is known under the brand name releaf®, an EU registered trademark of Avantium. Avantium has successfully demonstrated the YXY® Technology at its pilot plant in Geleen, the Netherlands, and is in the process of starting the world’s first commercial plant for FDCA in Delfzijl, the Netherlands. Avantium works in partnership with like-minded companies around the globe to develop revolutionary renewable chemistry solutions from invention to commercial scale.
Avantium’s shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Brussels (symbol: AVTX). Avantium is incorporated in the Euronext Amsterdam SmallCap Index (AScX). Its offices and headquarters are in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Source
Avantium, press release, 2025-11-04.
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