Exxon Mobil plans to expand its advanced recycling operations at its sites in Baytown and Beaumont, Texas, the polyethylene and polypropylene manufacturer announced Nov. 21.

Exxon said it will invest more than $200 million in the sites adding 350 million pounds per year of advanced recycling capacity. The new operations, expected to start up in 2026, will bring the company’s capacity to 500 million pounds per year.

The company said its goal is to reach 1 billion pounds per year of recycling capacity globally by 2027.

The announcement comes just before next week’s fifth session of talks organized by the United Nations to develop an agreement to curb plastic pollution. Less than 10% of plastics are recycled globally, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Exxon is currently facing a lawsuit filed by the state of California alleging that it has deceived the public about the limitations of recycling.

Exxon opened its first advanced recycling plant in Baytown two years ago, with an announced capacity of 80 million pounds a year. The company said the Baytown plant has processed more than 70 million pounds to date.

Advanced recycling uses pyrolysis, a chemical process that applies heat without oxygen, to break plastics down to their molecular components, which then become part of the refinery feedstock. The company measures how much material it processes from plastic waste, then attributes a corresponding amount to new resins sold as “certified-circular plastics,” according to Exxon’s website.  

Advanced recycling can take in a wider range of plastics than mechanical recycling.

Comments