The US company is planning to expand its plastic recycling capacity at its Baytown and Beaumont sites in Texas.
 

ExxonMobil says it is investing over 200 million US dollars, or the equivalent of around 191 million euros, in the construction of new plastic recycling capacity. The company said it is aiming to process a total of around 160,000 tonnes per year. The new plants are scheduled to go into operation in 2026. This would give ExxonMobil a total recycling capacity of almost 230,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year. So far, around 36,000 tonnes of plastic waste have been processed in Baytown, according to the information provided. Further chemical recycling plants are planned at production sites in North America, Europe and Asia. Chemical recycling complements conventional mechanical recycling by converting plastic waste into raw materials that can be used to manufacture many valuable products, from fuels and lubricants to high-performance chemicals and plastics, it is said. It would be used to treat a wider range of plastic waste that cannot be mechanically recycled and would otherwise potentially need to be landfilled or incinerated. ‘The global plastic waste challenge will be solved through innovation, collaboration and supportive government policies to improve waste management and the circular economy,’ explains ExxonMobil manager Karen McKee.
 
The company's first plant in Baytown began operations in 2022 and is said to be one of the largest advanced recycling plants in North America, having processed more than 31,000 tonnes of plastic waste by October 2024, according to the company. ExxonMobil was also involved in the creation of the Cyclyx joint venture in 2021 to improve the collection and sorting of plastic waste.
 
Sources:

• Press release ExxonMobil (21.11.2024)
• Photo: © Nick Fewings / Unsplash (symbolic image)