Method to manufacture PLA using a new polymerization catalyst

A method for manufacturing polylactide, comprising the steps of mixing lactide and a metal-coordination compound as polymerization catalyst to obtain a reaction mixture, polymerizing the lactide at a temperature of at least 150° C. to form polylactide in liquid phase and allowing the polylactide to solidify, characterized in that the polymerization catalyst comprises a metal-ligand coordination compound whereby the parent ligand answers the formula (I),

• whereby R represents an H atom, an aliphatic group, a halide atom or a nitro group, the metal is at least one of Zr and Hf and, wherein the metal coordination compound is represented by structure (II)

Polylactide containing a Zr-containing compound, characterized in that the amount of Zr metal originating from the compound is 1-2000 ppm and the racemization rate of the lactoyl units within the polylactide during its manufacture is less than 2%.