ExxonMobil has completed its first commercial sale of certified circular polymers, using its Exxtend technology for advanced recycling of plastic waste.
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ExxonMobil completes first commercial sale of certified circular polymers
The purchaser is Berry Global, which will use the circular polymers to manufacture containers for high-performance food-grade packaging on a mass balance approach.
Karen McKee, President of ExxonMobil Chemical Company, said: “We are scaling up our advanced recycling capabilities around the world to manufacture more circular products for our customers. Our Exxtend technology helps us meet the growing demand for certified circular polymers, particularly in food contact applications where plastic products provide key sustainability benefits.”
Exxtend technology helps expand the range of plastic materials that society recycles, while maintaining the performance of products over multiple recycling loops. Product quality and performance of the certified circular polymers are identical to polymers produced from virgin raw materials, increasing the variety and number of customer applications.
Tarun Manroa, Chief Strategy Officer, Berry Global, added: “We have ambitious sustainable packaging goals that include achieving 30 per cent circular content across our fast-moving consumer goods packaging by 2030. Advanced recycling can help our customers meet their sustainability goals and accelerate the move to a more circular economy. Collaboration across the value chain is critical to achieving this.”
The initial sale of certified circular polymers is based on plastic waste processed at ExxonMobil’s advanced recycling facility at its integrated site in Baytown, Texas. The facility began operations in 2021 and has already processed more than four million pounds (~1.8 million kilogrammes) of plastic waste.
The operation in Baytown will be among North America’s largest advanced plastic waste recycling facilities with a capacity to recycle 30,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste per year. Leveraging ExxonMobil’s existing assets, the company’s advanced recycling capabilities can be rapidly scaled to process a wide range of plastic waste. Furthermore, ExxonMobil plans to increase its annual advanced recycling capacity to 500,000 metric tonnes by year-end 2026 across multiple sites.
The company has obtained certifications through the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Plus (ISCC PLUS) process for several of its facilities including Baytown.