Building a better circle

We envision a future where one of the world’s most useful, versatile and necessary materials—plastic—is not wasted. Through innovation, Eastman is revolutionizing the future of circular materials. Our innovations touch lives everywhere – from the materials used make food containers, cellphone cases, and reusable sports bottles, to cosmetics containers, or medical equipment. We are committed to driving that innovation toward a more sustainable future.

The global waste crisis and climate change are two of the greatest challenges of our time, and the world desperately needs a materials revolution that will help address both. These challenges impact all of us—consumers, brands, NGOs, investors, and other stakeholders. Collectively, we know change is needed, and companies are setting aggressive goals to include recycled content in products. So how do we meet these significant goals?

Making the future of recycling a reality today

Last year, we commercialized two technologies that transform plastic waste into valuable raw material for high quality polymers with lower greenhouse gas emissions than the fossil process. Products like Tritan™ Renew and Cristal™ Renew are available today.

In 2020, we also launched Naia™ Renew, cellulosic fibers produced from 60% sustainably sourced wood pulp, using our carbon renewal technology, one of the two types of molecular recycling technologies.

Now, we are investing $250 million dollars to expand capacity and enable more brands and consumers to choose a better future. This state-of-the-art facility will use more than 110,000 metric tons of waste plastic as raw material. As a result, the same amount of fossil feedstock will remain in the ground.

Advancing a circular economy through Eastman innovation

  • Plastics that can’t be recycled today using traditional recycling must be landfilled or incinerated. Now, they will have value as a raw material and become circular.

  • Waste plastic no longer must be downcycled; it can be renewed over and over again to virgin quality with no compromise in performance.

  • This can be done efficiently, with lower carbon emissions than the fossil-based process.

  • It is not a dream for the future—it is a reality today.

There is no time to waste. Construction begins in March 2021, with completion targeted in 2022. The plant will be located in Kingsport, Tennessee to provide raw material to the many polymer lines that produce the specialty plastics our customers use today.

Learn more by reading our molecular recycling facility news release.


 



Showing the world what's possible

There is a better way for treating plastic waste rather than throwing it away or sending it to a landfill or incinerator. Using our molecular recycling technologies, we can now recycle more of it than ever. Watch our short documentary to see how Eastman has looked to its past for creating a recycling revolution for the future. The world must have recycling changes. It's not easy. It takes risks to change the status quo. But with our molecular recycling technologies, we are showing the world what's possible.


Mainstreaming circularity

Society needs to mainstream a circular economy. For Eastman, that means developing technology to create value from plastic waste and keep it out of the environment; enable durable products with longer shelf-lives and reduce material consumption; and reducing carbon emissions. It just makes sense. Our objective is to be a thought and action leader to define the path globally for circularity. We cannot solve the problem alone but through partnerships we can show the world what is possible and catalyze change.

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Eastman has committed to recycle more than 250 million pounds (113.4 million kg) of plastic by 2025 and more than 500 million pounds (226 million kg) by 2030. We will leverage our molecular recycling facilities to reach those ambitious goals and provide brands and customers the sustainable solutions they need to meet consumer recycled-content demand.



Did you miss our announcement?

Watch the playback of the live announcement below from Mark Costa, our CEO and board chair, and Bill Lee, Tennessee’s Governor.