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Revolutionizing the Future of Plastic in Normandy, France | Eastman
Revolutionizing the Future of Plastic in Normandy, France | Eastman
Published 07-30-24
Submitted by Eastman
Eastman is investing to create the world’s largest molecular recycling plant in Port-Jérôme-sur-Seine in Normandy, France.
The facility will use Eastman’s molecular recycling technology to recycle up to 110,000 metric tons of polyester-rich plastic waste per year, which currently has little or no recycling outlet.
The plastic waste includes everyday items like colored polyethylene terephthalate (PET) found in food packaging, reusable water bottles, and clothing that can’t be mechanically recycled. Because traditional recycling technologies cannot process this plastic waste, these plastics end up in landfills, incinerators, or worse, the environment.
On a scale like none before, the new facility will break down once hard-to-recycle plastic materials into building blocks to create equally high-quality plastic that can be reused over and over again and keep plastic waste from polluting nature.
On top of that, we expect the molecular recycling to lower costs for end products and encourage customers to make sustainable choices without having to pay a higher price.
Through a combination of proven Eastman processes and renewable energy resources in Normandy, we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared to traditional methods of producing virgin PET plastic. With a clear vision and aligned goals, Eastman and the French government are working together to achieve a true circular economy with what once was hard-to-recycle plastic waste.
The facility to be located in in Port-Jérôme-sur-Seine, is expected to be operational by 2027/2028.
Learn more about the molecular recycling facility here: https://www.eastman.com/en/media-center/news-stories/2022/eastman-exclusive-negotiation-site-normandy
Eastman
Eastman
Founded in 1920, Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With the purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. The company’s innovation-driven growth model takes advantage of world-class technology platforms, deep customer engagement, and differentiated application development to grow its leading positions in attractive end markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. As a globally inclusive and diverse company, Eastman employs approximately 14,000 people around the world and serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company had 2023 revenue of approximately $9.2 billion and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA.
About Eastman in the circular economy: In 2019, Eastman became the first company to begin commercial-scale chemical recycling for a broad set of waste plastics that would otherwise be landfilled or, worse, wind up in the environment. Eastman's molecular recycling technologies can process waste plastics traditional mechanical recycling methods cannot—including polyesters, polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene—derived from a variety of sources, including single-use plastics, textiles, and carpet. These technologies provide a true circular solution of endless recycling for materials, allowing them to be reused repeatedly.
To learn more about how we’re working to make a more circular economy visit eastman.eco.
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