ExxonMobil Completes First Commercial Sale of Certified Circular Polymers

Innovative packaging and engineered products manufacturer Berry Global is the first customer for ExxonMobil Chemical’s certified circular polymers, using its Exxtend technology for advanced recycling of plastic waste. Advanced recycling allows plastic waste to be converted into brand new products that are no different from those made from conventional materials, in this case the broad slate of polyolefins produced by ExxonMobil. Berry will use the material—a PP impact copolymer, to manufacture containers of high-performance food-grade packaging on a mass balance approach.

This initial sale of certified circular polymers is based on plastic waste processed at ExxonMobil’s advanced recycling facility at its integrated site in Baytown, Texas. The facility began operations in 2021 and has already processed over 4 million/lbs of plastic waste. The Baytown operation will be among North America’s largest advanced plastic waste recycling facilities with a capacity to recycle 66.1 million lb/yr of plastic waste when its expansion is complete later this year.

Leveraging ExxonMobil’s existing assets, the company’s advanced recycling capabilities can be rapidly scaled to process a wide range of plastic waste. To help meet the growing market demand for certified circular plastics, ExxonMobil plans to increase its annual advanced recycling capacity to approximately 1 billion lbs, by year-end 2026 across multiple sites globally.The company has obtained certifications through the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Plus (ISCC PLUS) process for several of its facilities including Baytown. ISCC PLUS is widely recognized by industry as an effective system to certify the circularity of products based on advanced recycling using mass balance attribution of plastic waste.

Said ExxonMobil Chemical’s president Karen McKee, “We are scaling up our advanced recycling capabilities around the world to manufacture more circular products for our customers. Our Exxtend technology helps us meet the growing demand for certified circular polymers, particularly in food-contact applications where plastic products provide key sustainability benefits.”

Said Berry Global’s chief strategy officer Tarun Manroa, “We have ambitious sustainable packaging goals that include achieving 30% circular content across our fast-moving consumer goods packaging by 2030. Advanced recycling can help our customers meet their sustainability goals and accelerate the move to a more circular economy. Collaboration across the value chain is critical to achieving this.”