Advanced recycling technology
Putting circularity into circulation
Turning more of the plastics we use every day into valuable products
Plastics benefit society in many ways. Because they're lightweight, versatile and durable, they're often the material of choice when compared with alternatives such as paper, aluminum or glass. They're expected to play a vital role in a net-zero future because they're needed for new lower-carbon technologies.
The advanced recycling process converts plastic waste back into its molecular building blocks, which then become the raw material for making new plastics, transportation fuels and other products. It’s a proven technology that can be used around the world to improve recycling rates and support a more circular economy.
Latest news
Advancing our solutions for plastic waste
3 min read
• April 22, 2024
Karen McKee wins prestigious industry award
7 min read
• April 9, 2024From start to finish, to start again: Creating a new life for plastic waste
Bringing advanced recycling to life
Why does advanced recycling matter?
Less than 10% of plastics are recycled today. The rest is incinerated, put into a landfill or winds up in the environment.
Advanced recycling complements traditional recycling methods and helps address plastic waste by enabling the breakdown of more kinds of plastic and converting them back into the molecules needed to make new products. It’s also helping users of plastic such as packaging manufacturers, beverage companies and restaurants meet their sustainability goals by incorporating more circular content into their products.
Advanced recycling: A different way to handle used plastics
What we're doing now
Our advanced recycling facility in Baytown, Texas, has been operating since December 2022, with the capacity to process 80 million pounds of plastic waste per year.
This facility is already helping to support a more circular economy for plastics.
We plan to increase our global advanced recycling capacity to more than 1 billion pounds per year by 2027, with facilities in Europe, the United States and Asia Pacific.
Learn how we’re expanding the plastics lifecycle
Explore more
Addressing plastic waste with chemical recycling
2 min read
• Sept. 25, 2024Why are some plastics harder to recycle?
3 min read
• July 24, 2024Developing lower-emission solutions through research and development
3 min read
• May 22, 2024
Doubling down on advanced recycling in Baytown
2 min read
• May 6, 2024Converting plastic waste into new products
4 min read
• May 2, 2024Advancing our solutions for plastic waste
3 min read
• April 22, 2024
Karen McKee wins prestigious industry award
7 min read
• April 9, 2024From start to finish, to start again: Creating a new life for plastic waste
Bringing advanced recycling to life
Some plastic can’t be recycled: could advanced recycling help?
3 min read
• June 13, 2023How we’re helping meet the plastic waste challenge
What makes advanced recycling advanced
What makes advanced recycling ‘advanced’?
2 min read
• Aug. 10, 2022Innovative solutions to help reduce plastic waste
3 min read
• July 13, 2022From plastic waste to valuable - goods going circular with ExxtendTM
Community collaboration to reduce waste, build new businesses
3 min read
• Dec. 27, 2021Unlocking the potential of advanced recycling: Xavier Milcent
4 min read
Materials for modern living