In a joint statement from the President of France, Emmanuel Macron and Mark Costa, CEO of Eastman Chemicals, the company announced an investment of $1 billion in a material-to-material molecular facility to recycle plastics in France. The initiative is supported by a number of global brands that use plastics in packaging including Procter and Gamble, Danone, LVMH Beauty and others.

 The plant will apply Eastman polyester renewal technology and recycle more than 180,000 tons of waste that is currently being incinerated. The Eastman process is multiphase and involves sequential mixing of waste, methanolysis to depolymerize waste followed by polymerization to produce specific packaging and textile materials.  The plant will be operational by mid-2025 and will employ 350 workers directly and generate 1,500 indirect positions in recycling and infrastructure services.

The decision to place the plant in the E.U. relates to existing and proposed legislation mandating recycling and greater pressure on manufacturers of health, beauty and food products to use recycled material thereby decreasing waste and reducing expenditure of energy on virgin material.  It is clear that a favorable regulatory environment and tax concessions stimulate recycling with benefits to the environment and the economy.