Recycle icon papercut illustration with plant leaf and bird animals. Eco-friendly recycling symbol, reuse waste cycle concept. 3d cutout in recycled paper background for ecology campaign.

Eastman announced that it has entered an agreement with Procter & Gamble (P&G) to further accelerate the transformation of plastic packaging and collaborate on recycling solutions to enable a circular economy. P&G will use Eastman Renew materials in select products and packaging, supporting both companies' goals to reduce the use of virgin plastic from fossil resources. Additionally, the companies will collaborate on advocacy initiatives aimed at reducing reliance on virgin plastic and enabling a circular economy for many products people depend on daily. 

"Eliminating waste plastic from our environment is a complex global challenge that requires a comprehensive, collaborative approach across the entire plastics lifecycle. P&G is taking a thoughtful approach to addressing the collection, processing, revitalization, and reuse of materials. That's why we selected Eastman's molecular recycling technologies which enable former waste to be transformed into useful products," says Lee Ellen Drechsler, Procter & Gamble Senior Vice President of R&D. 

Eastman Renew materials are made via Eastman's molecular recycling technologies using waste plastic that, without this technology, would end up in landfills. These advanced recycling technologies are a complement to traditional recycling, expanding the types and amounts of plastics that can be recycled. This gives materials an extended useful life and diverts plastic waste from landfills or the environment. 

In addition to packaging innovation, P&G and Eastman will collaborate on initiatives addressing the infrastructure needed to increase plastic recycling rates. These efforts will complement the current recycling streams in the United States and enable additional recycling options for consumers eager to help solve the plastic waste problem. The two companies will work to expand the collection of hard-to-recycle plastics, further diverting waste from landfills. These expanded recycling streams will be used to create new materials via Eastman's molecular recycling technologies.

"Eastman is excited to have Procter & Gamble as a partner to put molecular recycling into practice," says Scott Ballard, Eastman's Division President of Plastics. "Together, we can create value from waste and show the world what's possible through innovation. The value created will help drive the critical changes in our recycling infrastructure that are necessary to solve the plastic waste crisis."

Eastman Renew materials are available globally at scale now, enabling companies like Procter & Gamble to deliver circular product and packaging solutions to consumers. P&G is working to integrate Eastman Renew materials into select product packaging later this year. Eastman is constructing one of the world's largest plastic-to-plastic recycling facilities at its Kingsport, Tenn., location, with completion expected in 2022. The molecular recycling facility will consume over 200 million pounds annually of landfill-bound waste plastic in the making of Eastman Renew materials.

P&G recently showed support for COVID-19 relief in Singapore, donating over $3 million in care packages back in July. For more on that story, click here.