Tecnon OrbiChem’s Bio-Materials reporting has continuously evolved to catch up with the latest low-carbon/zero-carbon technology solutions being developed within the chemical/materials sector. I have already been including analysis and reports about the recycling trends and projects – especially chemical recycling – in our Bio-Materials reporting since 2018. Our coverage has also expanded towards reporting about mass balance-based chemicals. As Bob Dylan says, The Times They Are A-Changin’, and the chemical industry is certainly seeing major shifts in the decarbonisation and circularity of its entire supply chain.
This leads me to report about this massive investment announced by Eastman yesterday. The company is planning to invest up to $1bn in a material-to-material recycling facility in France which will use Eastman’s polyester renewal technology to recycle up to 160 ktpa of hard-to-recycle plastic waste that is currently being incinerated. This multi-phase project will include pre-treatment units that would prepare mixed plastic waste for processing, a methanolysis unit to depolymerise the waste, and polymer lines to create a variety of materials for specialty, packaging and textile applications. Eastman also plans to establish an innovation center for molecular recycling which would advance alternative recycling methods and applications to curb plastic waste incineration. The plant and innovation center are expected to be operational by 2025.
Branded companies such as LVMH Beauty, The Estèe Lauder Companies, Clarins, Procter & Gamble, L’Oreal and Danone are reportedly signing letters of intent for multi-year supply agreements from this facility. Eastman’s molecular recycling technology can reportedly produce materials with up to 80% less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional methods.
Eastman is currently building another molecular recycling facility at its site in Kingsport, Tennesee, USA, with an investment value of $250m. The new facility will use over 100 ktpa of plastic waste that cannot be recycled by current mechanical methods. This facility is expected to be mechanically complete by the end of this year and will aim to recycle more than 250 million lbs/year of plastic waste by 2025, and more than 500 million lbs/year by 2030.
By the way, Eastman can probably further decarbonise the process by using renewable methanol, which is already in commercial production. Just a suggestion.
PS
I was thinking of changing our report title into ‘Renewable Materials’ but I can already see the horrified looks that this name change will bring to IT/Marketing/Sales departments so this will take some time to do. Stay tune!
