US lactic acid markets firmed through April as tighter seaborne availability and stronger domestic buying supported a firmer market. Buyers in packaging and food formulation advanced purchases ahead of peaks, while inventories remained balanced to tight, prompting replacement procurement rather than deferment. Start-up constraints at new Southeast Asian biopolymer capacity limited export allocations and marine freight volatility reduced the number of May spot nominations. Taken together, these dynamics underpinned an upward trajectory for the month as converters, beverage formulators and filament producers stayed active in spot and short-term contracting. Demand strength was led by biodegradable packaging makers and PLA converters, which absorbed available volumes, while food-grade formulators ramped purchases ahead of summer launches.
Selenis has effectively manufactured recycled PET chips using terephthalic acid sourced from Circ®, a textile-to-textile recycler based in Virginia. The chip production took place through a series of batches at Selenis' pilot plant in San-Giorgio, Italy. By utilizing inputs recovered from polycotton textile waste, Selenis has created high-quality PET chip, which has been further processed into DTY yarn. This yarn will play a crucial role in product development as Circ prepares for additional capsule launches. Selenis is leveraging the success of this initial collaboration phase and is committed to advancing towards an offtake partnership to support Circ's inaugural industrial facility.
Eduardo Santos, Head of Corporate Strategy at Selenis, remarked that the monomer synthesis showed a performance comparable to virgin terephthalic acid. He expressed optimism about the consistent quality of Circ's monomer output and anticipated future commercial success. Santos pointed out that the Circ partnership complements Selenis's existing mission and goals for a more sustainable textile industry. He further stated their anticipation of expanding upon this collaboration and providing support for Circ's forthcoming commercial production trials.
