Packaging giant Amcor and ExxonMobil join forces to boost circular economy

Packaging giant Amcor has announced plans to include certified recycled polyethylene material for advanced recycling, produced using ExxonMobil's Exxtend technology, in its material selection going forward
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The company said it will use these recycled polymers in its global product portfolio
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Using recycled materials is one of the paths Amcor is taking to meet its sustainability commitment to making all of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025
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Amcor Chief Commercial Officer Peter Konieczny said: "Using advanced recycled materials is another step at Amcor to meet the challenges of our industry and provide our customers with more sustainable packaging solutions
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This move will significantly increase Amcor's use of recycled materials
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In fiscal 2021, the figure was 113,000 tonnes
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ExxonMobil has developed a proprietary advanced recycling technology that uses chemical processes to break down difficult-to-recycle plastics down to the molecular level
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The technology was tested at ExxonMobil's Baytown complex
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During the trial, more than 1,000 tons (equivalent to 200 million shopping bags) of plastic waste were successfully recycled, and it was demonstrated that it was possible to process 50 tons of plastic waste per day
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ExxonMobil is currently expanding the new facility, with an initial plan to recycle 30,000 tons of plastic waste per year, and plans to build about 500,000 tons of advanced recycling capacity globally over the next five years
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Plastic waste is broken down into its constituent parts, producing raw materials that can be used to produce new polymers that are no different in quality and performance from polymers made from virgin materials
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As a result, customers can increase the use of recycled content in packaging without compromising quality or performance
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Leveraging its Exxtend technology, ExxonMobil offers recycled polymers with the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) certification, which is widely recognized as a mass balance attribution certified chemical product produced by advanced recycling operations a valid criterion for circularity
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"By leveraging ExxonMobil's Exxtend technology across our global product portfolio, Amcor provides a real differentiator for our customers and the environment," Konieczny said
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