Eastman collaborates with Bill Gates-funded startup to build recycling facility
Eastman announced it will build a second molecular recycling facility in Longview, Texas, US, which will operate with use of alternative, clean energy sources.
In the project, Eastman will collaborate with Rondo Energy, a Bill Gates-funded startup, to incorporate thermal battery technology and efficient and high-yield molecular recycling technology.
Rondo Heat Batteries from Rondo Energy will be incorporated in Eastman’s Longview molecular recycling facility.
The Longview project is part of Eastman’s investment of more than US$2 billion in molecular recycling facility that process hard-to-recycle plastics. The Longview facility will have a capacity to process approximately 110,000 metric tons of hard-to-recycle plastic waste.
Recycle with renewable energy
Rondo Heat Batteries (RHBs) are essentially modular units containing thousands of tons of brick and coils of metal, much like those in the toaster on your kitchen counter.
RHBs transform intermittent renewable power — in this case, much from new, on-site solar — into heat in excess of 1,000°C. The brick batteries can store massive amounts of heat for up to 24 hours with very little loss.
Using thermal batteries fed by renewable energy, Eastman will recycle hard-to-recycle polyester waste and produce new, recycled materials with up to 90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions, compared to materials produced with fossil feedstocks.
PepsiCo has already signed a contract to use Eastman Renew materials from the Longview facility to create more sustainable packaging with a much lower carbon footprint.
Commitment to sustainability
Earlier this year, Eastman has begun operating the world’s largest material-to-material molecular recycling facility in Kingsport, Tennessee, US.
Both Kingsport and Longview plants will contribute to Eastman’s ambitious goals of recycling 250 million pounds of plastic annually by 2025 and double that volume by 2030. The company also targets being carbon neutral by 2050. Eastman’s climate strategy includes increasing renewable energy and adopting alternative technologies.
