Rumpke and Eastman join forces to expand recycling of PET waste

“The world is currently grappling with a significant problem, with a large portion of plastic waste either not being collected for recycling, or is considered non-recyclable by traditional methods,” said Jeff Snyder, director of recycling at Rumpke. “This partnership creates a new market for hard-to-recycle colored and opaque waste that is not currently recycled today.”

Colored and opaque PET is used across a range of consumer applications, including personal care and cosmetic packaging, detergent and soap packaging and various dairy and food packaging.  Historically many of these applications have been unable to transition to fully circular packaging.  Through Rumpke’s investment in innovation processing and Eastman’s molecular recycling technology, this partnership will enable circularity for many applications.  By diverting this waste from incineration or landfill, both companies are making significant strides toward their shared vision of a world without waste.

By harnessing the power of innovation, Rumpke and Eastman are keeping fossil resources in the ground and contributing to a more sustainable future. The partnership sets an example for the industry and demonstrates the importance of collaboration in achieving true circularity.

“Rumpke and Eastman are both committed to innovative approaches to reducing plastic waste through collaboration,” said Brad Lich, Eastman executive vice president and chief commercial officer. “This partnership reinforces the complementary nature of molecular and mechanical recycling to keep more raw materials in the circular economy enabling brands to meet their recycled content goals.”

This announcement comes as Eastman is nearing the start-up of the world’s largest material-to-material molecular recycling facility at its Kingsport, Tennessee site. Set to begin shipping its first products in the coming weeks, the Kingsport plant will recycle 110,000 metric tons of hard-to-recycle plastic waste annually.

Visit www.eastman.com/circular for more information on Eastman’s efforts in the circular economy and Eastman Renew Circular Solutions.