New technology
PRT, a form of molecular recycling, diverts a range of hard-to-recycle polyester plastic waste from landfills and incinerators. This includes soft drink bottles, colored and opaque plastic, carpet fibers and polyester-based clothing.
Like-new materials
Eastman’s PRT unzips polyesters, using methanolysis to convert them back to their basic monomers and create new materials. The new molecules are indistinguishable from the molecules in materials made with virgin or nonrecycled content. This process, also known as depolymerization, allows us to repeatedly recycle polyester waste without degradation in material performance. It uses over 50% less fossil resources than traditional methods, helping increase U.S. energy supplies.
A circular solution
With Eastman’s molecular recycling technology, we can provide an infinite life span — a truly circular solution — for waste materials. We can recycle materials that cannot be recycled by traditional methods. We’re breaking waste down to its molecular building blocks and creating new materials. By 2030, we expect to recycle more than 500 million pounds (≈225 million kg) of plastic waste annually.
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