Eastman has announced plans to introduce an innovation called carbon renewal technology, which is capable of recycling some of the most complex plastic waste, including non-polyester plastics and cannot be recycled with conventional recycling technologies.
With this new recycling technology, materials such as flexible packaging and plastic films, among others, can be diverted from landfills.
By modifying the front end of Eastman’s cellulosics production, carbon renewal technology uses plastic waste as feedstock and converts it back to simple and versatile molecular components.
The process partially oxidises the plastic and converts it into the basic building blocks of certain Eastman products, including Advanced Materials and Fibres segment products that serve ophthalmics, durables, packaging, textiles and nonwovens end-use markets.
Eastman has completed pilot tests at its Kingsport site and plans commercial production in 2019 by leveraging existing assets.
This rapid success in developing a new recycling approach is a further example of how Eastman leverages its scale and integration to provide sustainable solutions to the world.
Mark Costa, Eastman Board Chair and CEO, said: “Eastman is embracing its stated purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way for people around the world.”
“This translates not only to producing superior materials for the products consumers use daily, but also contributes in a meaningful way to a circular economy – an economy where we reuse and repurpose our resources, so they retain their value for as long as possible.”
Steve Crawford, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Eastman, said: “As a leader in materials innovation, Eastman can now provide unique solutions that will support our customers and end-users n achieving their sustainability goals.”
“Eastman’s circular technologies represent the opportunity for partnerships to provide solutions, including end-of-life options, that will have an impact on the global waste problem.”
