Interzero partners Eastman for molecular recycling facility in France

FRANCE – Plastics recycling firm Interzero and chemical company Eastman have signed a long-term supply agreement for the latter’s planned molecular recycling facility in Normandy, France.

Under the agreement, Interzero will provide 20,000 metric tonnes of hard-to-recycle PET household packaging waste per year to the facility.

Interzero Plastics Recycling, a division of Interzero, provides plastics recycling solutions and environmental services.

Based in Germany, the firm is a service provider of circular solutions in Europe and has a close relationship with ALBA Group ASIA, its sister business.

Interzero plastics recycling Chief Commercial Officer Jacco de Haas said: “Joining forces by combining the leading knowledge of Eastman and Interzero is the next step in closing the loop with our partners and a step closer towards a world without waste.

“The world is facing a plastic waste crisis with far too little plastic waste being recycled, either from lack of collection or because it simply cannot be recycled by traditional methods. Eastman’s innovative process and this agreement bring a solution to this.”

Eastman’s planned molecular recycling facility in France will become the world’s largest material-to-material molecular recycling plant.

Once complete, the facility will recycle approximately 160,000 tonnes of hard-to-recycle polyester waste annually. The project is expected to be operational in 2025.

Eastman Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Brad Lich said: “Interzero and Eastman are committed to reducing plastic waste and creating circularity through collaboration and innovation.

“This agreement marks an important milestone towards Eastman’s investment in France. We are happy to build a strong collaboration in Europe with Interzero to provide a portion of the feedstock needed to successfully operate our facility.

“The collaboration reinforces the complementary nature of mechanical and molecular recycling and the importance of working together to create true circularity.”

Eastman says chemical recycling is a necessary complement to mechanical recycling to keep more raw materials in the loop.

The firm’s proven polyester renewal technology provides true circularity for hard-to-recycle plastic waste that remains in a linear economy today.

This material is typically incinerated because it either cannot be mechanically recycled or must be downcycled using existing technology.

Eastman’s chemical recycling technology allows this hard-to-recycle waste to be broken down into its molecular building blocks and then reassembled to become first-quality material without any compromise in performance.

The company’s polyester renewal technology enables the potentially infinite value of materials by keeping them in production, lifecycle after lifecycle.

With the technology’s inherent efficiencies and the renewable energy sources available in France, materials can be produced with significantly less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional methods.

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