• $200 million investment to add advanced recycling units at Baytown and Beaumont sites in Texas.
• New facilities will boost ExxonMobil’s annual capacity to 500 million pounds, aiming for 1 billion pounds globally by 2027.
• Advanced recycling processes hard-to-recycle plastics, reducing waste and promoting circularity.

ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) is investing over $200 million to expand its advanced recycling operations at its Baytown and Beaumont sites in Texas. The expansion will add 350 million pounds of annual capacity, bringing the company’s global recycling capacity to 500 million pounds by 2026. The ultimate goal is to reach 1 billion pounds per year by 2027, with additional facilities planned in North America, Europe, and Asia.

What they’re saying:

Karen McKee, President of ExxonMobil Product Solutions, said:

“We are solutions providers, and this multi-million-dollar investment will enhance our ability to convert hard-to-recycle plastics into raw materials that produce valuable new products. At our Baytown site, we’ve proven advanced recycling works at scale, which gives us confidence in our ambition to provide the capacity to process more than 1 billion pounds of plastic per year around the world. We’re proud of this proprietary technology and the role it can play in helping establish a circular economy for plastics and reducing plastic waste.”

Why it matters:

• ExxonMobil’s advanced recycling technology processes plastics that cannot be recycled mechanically, converting them into raw materials for products like fuels, chemicals, and packaging.
• The expansion helps divert plastic waste from landfills and incinerators, supporting a circular economy for plastics.
• Since the start-up of its first advanced recycling facility in Baytown in 2022, ExxonMobil has processed more than 70 million pounds of plastic waste.

The bigger picture:

ExxonMobil’s advanced recycling operations complement traditional recycling, addressing a broader range of plastic waste and helping customers meet sustainability goals. The company also continues to collaborate with initiatives like Cyclyx to enhance waste collection and sortation.

As McKee put it: “The world’s plastic waste challenge will be solved with innovation, collaboration, and supportive government policy to improve waste management and circularity. ExxonMobil is doing its part by developing scalable technology, investing in recycling infrastructure, and helping our customers meet their circularity goals.”

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