Collaboration, infrastructure and innovation foster sustainability | Editorials

The world has an pressing plastic waste downside. Every year greater than 300 million tons of plastic are produced globally, and solely about 15% is recycled. This downside is simply too huge for one stakeholder to resolve. Business, authorities, non-government organizations and others should work collectively to handle this disaster.

Eastman Chemical Co. is uniquely positioned to innovate options and catalyze change. For over a decade, we’ve positioned sustainability on the coronary heart of how we produce new merchandise proper right here in Kingsport, the place Eastman was based simply over 100 years in the past.

At Eastman, we imagine within the 3Rs — scale back, reuse and recycle — and we’re investing in expertise to allow all three. We’ve launched two molecular recycling applied sciences at scale and are introducing a number of merchandise in a wide range of markets leveraging our scale and integration to allow a very round economic system.

We not too long ago introduced a $250 million funding to construct one of many world’s largest plastic-to-plastic molecular recycling services in Kingsport. This state-of-the-art facility will convert polyester waste that usually results in landfills and waterways into sturdy merchandise. This can be a terrific funding for our area people and our prospects, whereas additionally creating small enterprise jobs to develop the recycling infrastructure essential to help funding in a sustainable future.

Final yr, we commercialized two applied sciences that remodel plastic waste into priceless uncooked materials for high-quality polymers to make merchandise like Tritan™ Renew and Cristal™ Renew which might be obtainable right this moment.

Eastman additionally not too long ago established bold objectives to recycle greater than 250 million kilos of waste plastic by 2025 and 500 million by 2030 by molecular recycling applied sciences which have considerably decrease carbon emissions than merchandise made with fossil-based feedstocks. The world wants superior recycling options, like Eastman’s and people of our business friends.

As we work collectively to resolve this waste disaster, we should additionally enhance our carbon footprint. Eastman’s applied sciences have a carbon footprint that’s 20-30% decrease than recycling processes that make the most of fossil gasoline feedstocks. And, Eastman’s applied sciences complement current mechanical or conventional recycling, as a result of we are able to course of poor-quality supplies that can’t be in any other case recycled.

Most significantly, our applied sciences present an infinite loop for polymers, one thing that mechanical recycling can not do by itself.

Whereas there’s a important debate in regards to the function of plastics in our society, plastics are acknowledged to be a crucial enabler to enhancing our general high quality of life. And plastics are elementary to addressing a few of the most urgent international issues.

For instance, there are over 2.2 billion folks right this moment that don’t have entry to scrub consuming water. At Eastman, our prospects’ merchandise are targeted on the “reuse” a part of the 3Rs with sturdy functions reminiscent of reusable hydration bottles, meals storage and medical units.

To create a completely round economic system, we want insurance policies in place that acknowledge the legitimacy of recycled content material from new applied sciences like Eastman’s molecular recycling. We’ve realized that no collaborative effort is full with out advocacy. We want good insurance policies that may drive funding in economical, environment friendly infrastructure that will get extra discarded supplies into recycling services after which again into new, high-quality merchandise.

We’re working with waste administration firms, nonprofits and native/state governments, and take our inspiration for activating the worth chain from states which have enacted good, efficient Prolonged Producer Duty (EPR) insurance policies.

Our plan is to find and use options that work nicely for us — and to be a mannequin for others sooner or later.

We additionally want a extra strong recycling infrastructure and a change in client habits. The brand new administration might help present the financial insurance policies and incentives for that. We should all come collectively to construct a greater, extra sustainable future.

We’re addressing local weather change with each the actions we’re taking to cut back Eastman’s carbon footprint and by offering merchandise that allow our prospects and shoppers to cut back their carbon footprint.

Eastman is dedicated to reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. As we set our path to help the Paris Local weather Settlement, we count on to realize one-third of our goal by 2030. These reductions can be pushed by continued vitality effectivity.

Eastman is an eight-time Accomplice of the Yr with the EPA’s Vitality Star program. One of many methods we’ve achieved this recognition is by switching out coal-fired boilers to pure fuel, which reduces greenhouse fuel emissions. Our vitality technique over the previous decade has resulted in progress: Now we have lowered our absolute greenhouse fuel emissions by roughly 10% since 2008.

Eastman can be persevering with to spend money on renewable vitality, and we’re partnering with universities and nationwide laboratories to develop breakthrough applied sciences that may be deployed at scale to satisfy the calls for of business decarbonization.

Eastman has the accountability to guide and is dedicated to becoming a member of others to mainstream circularity as an financial mannequin and deal with local weather change.

But it surely’s going to take all of us to construct a greater future. Study extra at www.eastman.com/buildingbetter.

Mark Costa is the board chair and CEO of Eastman Chemical Co.