What if the plastic waste tossed away transforms into new, high-quality products instead of polluting our planet and moves us toward a more sustainable and circular economy? For instance, ExxonMobil is investing in recycling technology that breaks down plastic materials to their molecular level, enabling the production of new, virgin-quality plastics and other valuable products. The quality and performance of certified-circular polymers are identical to polymers made from conventional fossil feedstock. This process, also called chemical recycling, is crucial as it recycles plastics that are challenging for mechanical methods, complementing this form of recycling.
By converting difficult-to-recycle plastics into certified-circular polymers, this technology not only ensures high-quality materials but also significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional processes. It’s an environmentally friendly solution that meets the growing demand for sustainable practices.
Sustainable, high-quality recycled products with lower emissions
ExxonMobil’s technology currently processes 40,000 metric tons of plastic waste annually in Baytown, Texas (US), with plans to expand to 500,000 metric tons globally by 2026. Certified by ISCC PLUS, this technology ensures sustainable, high-quality recycled products for various applications. ISCC PLUS is widely recognized as an effective system to certify products that result from advanced recycling using of plastic waste.
Advanced recycling also results in lower greenhouse gas emissions when processing plastic waste than when processing the same amount of fossil-based feedstocks, according to a cradle-to-gate carbon footprint assessment by Sphera, a sustainability consulting group for life cycle assessments.
Associated SDG targets
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