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Eastman’s Kingsport, Tenn. plant was initially estimated to cost $250 million over two years, but recent financial filings suggest the price tag has crept upward. | William Griffith/Shutterstock

Eastman Chemical Company has positioned itself as a leader in “molecular recycling,” focusing on advanced chemical processes to recycle hard-to-recycle polyester plastics. The company’s flagship technology, known as Polyester Renewal Technology (PRT), uses methanolysis to break down polyester waste into its original monomers, enabling the production of new, virgin-quality plastics from waste streams that cannot be recycled mechanically. This article reviews the status of Eastman’s key projects in the United States and France, the technology used, and the specific challenges—both technical and regulatory—facing these ambitious initiatives.

Existing Facilities and Technology

Eastman’s molecular recycling facility in Kingsport, Tennessee, has been operational since early 2024 and is claimed to be profitable as it is already generating revenue. This plant serves as the model for Eastman’s subsequent molecular recycling projects and showcases the company’s advanced PRT. At steady-state capacity, the Kingsport asset will recycle 110,000 metric tons of polyester waste annually and achieved sustained operating rates of ~70% capacity by mid-2024. While Eastman resolved a mechanical issue in July 2024 and continues ramping production toward its full capacity target, current output remains below nameplate levels. Kingsport facility is recognized as a benchmark for the company’s future sites.

At the core of this technology is the chemical recycling of polyester waste—primarily polyethylene terephthalate (PET), commonly found in packaging, textiles, and various consumer products. The facility uses methanol under controlled heat and pressure to break down PET into its original monomers: dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and ethylene glycol (EG). Once separated and purified, these monomers are used as raw materials to manufacture new, virgin-quality polyester products. The plastics produced through this process are indistinguishable in quality and performance from those made with fossil-based feedstocks, supporting the development of a true circular economy for polyester materials.



Eastman Polymerisation Renewal Technology (PRT) description by Portfolio Planning PLUS

One of the key advantages of Eastman’s methanolysis-based recycling is its ability to process types of plastics that are unsuitable for traditional mechanical recycling. This includes colored, opaque, multilayer, and contaminated PET waste—materials that typically end up in landfills or are incinerated. By converting these challenging waste streams back into high-value inputs for new products, Eastman’s technology significantly reduces plastic waste and the environmental impact associated with virgin plastic production. According to Eastman, the Kingsport facility’s process results in greenhouse gas reductions of 20–50% compared to conventional production methods using fossil resources.

Projects in Development

Longview, Texas (USA)

Eastman is planning a second molecular recycling facility in Longview, Texas, which is expected to become operational in 2028. The facility will use the same PRT (methanolysis) as the Kingsport plant, with added innovations such as thermal batteries and on-site solar power to further decarbonize the PET production process. Designed to process approximately 110,000 metric tons of hard-to-recycle plastic waste annually, the Longview project is part of Eastman’s broader $2.25 billion investment in new recycling infrastructure. The facility is anticipated to create around 1,000 temporary construction and trade jobs, as well as 200 permanent full-time positions once complete.

A significant development affecting the Longview project occurred on 30 May 2025, when the Trump administration canceled a $375 million federal grant that had been allocated to support the facility’s construction. This grant, which was part of a larger Department of Energy initiative, was initially approved under the Biden administration in March 2024 but was revoked as part of a broader rollback of renewable energy and decarbonization funding. The estimated total cost of the Longview project is more than $1.2 billion. Despite this setback, Eastman has publicly maintained its commitment to the project as a key component of its global circularity strategy, though the loss of federal funding introduces new financial and logistical challenges for its timely completion.

Port-Jérôme-sur-Seine, Normandy (France)

A third molecular recycling facility using is planned to be built in the Port-Jérôme industrial zone in Normandy, France, which Eastman announced on March 15, 2024. The facility is designed to be developed in two phases: Phase I aims to recycle more than 110,000 metric tonnes of hard-to-recycle polyester waste annually, while Phase II is planned to expand capacity to over 200,000 metric tonnes per year. The plant will also use PRT, which breaks down polyester plastics into their monomers for reuse.

For Phase I alone, Eastman has planned an investment exceeding $1 billion. The project is expected to create 350 direct jobs and 1,500 indirect jobs, including 500 positions during the construction phase. To secure a steady supply of feedstock, Eastman has signed agreements with partners such as Interzero Plastics Recycling to provide PET household packaging waste for the facility. Additionally, several global brands—including LVMH Beauty, Estée Lauder Companies, Clarins, Procter & Gamble, L’Oréal, and Danone—have signed letters of intent for multiyear contracts to supply the plant.

This project is currently on hold as Eastman closely tracks the evolving regulatory landscape within the European Union regarding plastic waste and packaging. However, more crucially, according to a private source, the project’s future is fundamentally threatened by the absence of any plan to supply electrical power to the plant before 2028 at the earliest—a factor that places its timely realization in serious jeopardy, regardless of regulatory developments.

Outlook: Expansion at Risk Due to Regulatory, Funding, and Power Supply Issues

Eastman’s molecular recycling initiatives face significant uncertainty, as its two flagship development projects—the Longview, Texas facility and the Normandy, France plant—are both under threat from major external challenges. The Texas project is at risk due to the loss of critical federal funding, while the Normandy facility faces not only ongoing regulatory uncertainty in the EU but, more crucially, a lack of any planned electrical power supply to the site before at least 2028. If these obstacles are not resolved, both projects could ultimately be cancelled. Eastman’s ability to realize its circular economy ambitions now depends on overcoming these substantial financial, regulatory, and infrastructure barriers—an outcome that remains highly uncertain in the current environment.

#eastman  #circularity  #recycling  #molecularrecycling  #chemicalrecycling  #plasticwaste  #mixedplasticwaste  #polyesterrecycling  #depolymerization  #methanolysis  #longview  #kingsport  #portjerome  #Sustainability

Alterra closes investment round with the expectation to accelerate the commercialisation of its plastics pyrolysis technology

Investors Infinity Recycling, Chevron Phillips Chemical, LyondellBasell, and Neste, along with long-term support from Potenza Capital, have successfully closed their latest round of equity funding in Alterra Energy (formerly Vadxx Energy). This investment round is expected to accelerate the commercialization of Alterra’s plastics pyrolysis technology, designed to transform discarded plastic into valuable raw materials.

Alterra's advanced recycling technology has been modeled on ppPLUS and the mass balance of the company's demo plant in Akron has been created. One main product the technology is producing is plastics pyoil, which may be fractionnated to separate naphtha, which can be used as a feedstock returned to the cracker to produce ethylene among other products. The feedstock the technology is accepting is mostly clean polyolefin waste.

Source: Alterra, 22^nd Oct 2024 & portfolio planning PLUS.

#alterra  #lyondellbasell  #neste  #cpchem  #pyrolysis  #plasticwaste  #advancedrecycling  #molecularrecycling  #chemicalrecycling  #pyoil  #steamcracking  #naphtha  #ethylene  #polyethylene  

Circular Polymer Resources and AmSpec Group to develop a process to test and certify the composition and quality of plastic waste used in chemical recycling, Beatriz Santos from Sustainable Plastics reports on Feb 7^th.

Notable, the article mentions that:

"Pyrolysis oil must be diluted with fossil-derived oils or treated to improve its quality to bring it ‘on-specification’ for steam cracking. This diminishes the yield of recycled plastic from pyrolysis or requires energy intensive processes, respectively..."

#chemicalrecycling  #molecularrecycling  #advancedrecycling  #massbalance  #circularpolymer  #pyrolysis