Giving new life to the most complex mixed plastic waste with Eastman’s material to material polyester renewal technology and carbon renewal technology
In 2022, Eastman announced plans to invest up to $1 billion in a material-to-material molecular recycling facility in France. Once fully operational, the facility will use Eastman’s polyester renewal technology (PRT) to recycle more than 200,000 tonnes of hard-to-recycle polyester waste annually. Eastman will also establish an innovation center to advance molecular recycling and support France’s leadership in the circular economy.
This long-term partnership will help reduce plastic waste and carbon emissions, support the EU’s circular economy ambitions, and contribute to Eastman’s commitment to recycle more than 225 million kg of plastics annually.
Showing the world what’s possible
In 2019, Eastman commercialised two advanced recycling technologies that accept plastic waste as feedstock. Its advanced recycling technologies, polyester renewal technology (depolymerisation) and carbon renewal technology (gasification), help recycle plastics and textiles that cannot be processed by mechanical recycling today or cannot be recycled by mechanical methods without compromising the quality of the material.
The process breaks waste materials down to their molecular building blocks to be reassembled into new materials. Keeping them in infinite production, lifecycle after lifecycle.
Those advanced recycling technologies show 20-30% improvements in carbon footprint in the production of key building blocks used to make Eastman Renew products that contain certified recycled content.
Currently, more than 20 brands and companies sell products made with Eastman materials derived from plastic waste – waste that includes packaging and carpet fibers. Its partners include P&G, LVMH, H&M, Estée Lauder, CamelBak and Tupperware. End markets include, for example, reusable water bottles, cosmetics packaging, eyewear and textiles.
For more information, visit www.eastman.eco.