The future of the circular economy in the EU is currently being shaped, with substantial investments planned to address the critical environmental challenge of plastic waste. But will legislation encourage or limit the changes needed to enable a circular economy?
Innovative chemical recycling technologies that are available now offer the ability to recycle hard-to-recycle plastic waste, which is currently incinerated, landfilled, or left in the environment. They do so with exceptionally high yields, producing ‘virgin-like’ quality recycled plastic output with a carbon footprint that is 40-80 percent lower than traditional fossil production of new plastics. Current mechanical recycling processes work well for a portion of the waste stream — mainly clear bottles that are well sorted — however even with this stream of material, mechanical recycling output degrades over several cycles. Therefore, new chemical recycling technologies complement the mechanical recycling system by injecting quality polymer and by addressing several waste streams that don’t have a suitable recycling process today, creating an infinite loop for the plastic ecosystem. This is an outcome benefiting all stakeholders. However, companies need an enabling and supportive legislative framework that aligns with consumers’ demand for urgent solutions to the plastic waste crisis.
The materials industry is committed to contributing to material circularity and reducing dependency on natural resources. While Eastman fully supports reduction and reuse, recycling will continue to remain an essential element to keep materials in circulation, and is needed to achieve recycling and recycled content targets and EU Green Deal objectives. And there is no better plastic type to demonstrate this system circularity than PET. The chemistry of PET is unique because it allows for efficient mechanical recycling as well as efficient chemical recycling through depolymerization. Both mechanical and chemical recycling are required to eliminate waste and create a truly circular economy. It is crucial for EU policymakers to establish clear and unambiguous legal certainty to ensure that innovation investments in recycling will become a reality. Including chemical recycling technologies that recycle waste streams with high yield back to materials, and with a lower emissions footprint compared to fossil production within legislation frameworks, is crucial for achieving these goals.
Recycling will continue to remain an essential element to keep materials in circulation, and is needed to achieve recycling and recycled content targets and EU Green Deal objectives.
Europe currently recycles less than 20 percent of plastic put on the market, posing a significant challenge. However, it also presents a substantial opportunity that requires collaboration among all stakeholders, including policymakers.
Eastman has been a pioneer in the commercial-scale development of polyester depolymerization through methanolysis technology (Polyester Renewal Technology — PRT) in the United States. With more than three decades of expertise in this recycling process, PRT offers a highly impactful solution for hard-to-recycle polyester waste from various sources such as colored and opaque packaging and thermoforms, carpets, post-consumer automotive shredder residue, and waste from the textile industry. This waste cannot be mechanically recycled and would typically be diverted to landfills, incineration or end up in the environment. Instead, it can be recycled into high-quality polyesters suitable for use in various high-quality applications such as food contact and medical packaging materials.
In 2022, together with French President Emmanuel Macron, we announced plans for a €1 billion investment to introduce PRT in France. The facility aims to process over 200,000 tons of polyester-rich waste annually at full capacity, surpassing the initial target of 160,000 tons. The project consists of two phases, with the first phase scheduled for completion in 2026 and reaching full capacity in the second phase planned before 2030. Eastman has already secured 70 percent of the required feedstock for the first phase through collaboration with mechanical recyclers. The project is expected to create around 350 direct employment opportunities and generate approximately 1,500 indirect jobs in recycling, energy and infrastructure.
Eastman’s focus on sustainability and innovation has a long history of contributing to society’s quality of life. With PRT, waste can be transformed into premium specialty materials an infinite number of times with fewer greenhouse gas emissions than traditional processes. To us, this is what innovation is about. These findings are supported by a recent study from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, which highlights that recycling, including chemical, is preferable to energy recovery (incineration) from a climate change perspective.
At Eastman, the goal is to show the world what’s possible and transition from a linear economy, where waste plastics end up in landfills, incinerators, or the environment, to a truly circular economy where waste is infinitely recycled and reused.
Eastman has been a pioneer in the commercial-scale development of polyester depolymerization through methanolysis technology (Polyester Renewal Technology — PRT) in the U.S.
At Eastman, we believe recycling options should improve the quality of the environment and should be economically efficient to enable the long-term success of a circular economy. Smart policies help enable these positive environmental and economic outcomes. For example, mass balance for material-to-material technologies is essential to allowing the circular economy to scale up. Mass balance ensures accurate third-party tracking of recycled content in complex, large-scale facilities throughout the value chain. We continue to advocate for legislation that promotes good policy and standards and believe legislation should be driven by a set of core principles. Eastman’s PRT fully supports and aligns with the six key principles outlined below that are needed to drive the future of recycling.
We are at a pivotal moment, and it is imperative for materials companies to lead the way by deploying innovations that promote sustainable materials, positively impact the environment, and address the challenges we face. Eastman is driving solutions to help solve the world’s waste problem and create a better world for future generations. Supportive legislation is crucial to encourage investments in innovation and pave the way for chemical recycling to play a vital role in transitioning from linear to circular economies. Together, we are ushering in a wave of materials innovation that has the potential to change the world.
