Eastman to Source Rejected Postconsumer PET From Dentis Group

Eastman announced a long-term agreement with Nord Pal Plast SA, part of the Dentis group, an Italian company specializing in collection and mechanical recycling of PET packaging waste. Through mechanical recycling sites in France, Spain and Italy, Dentis will provide 30,000 metric tons per year of rejected PET postconsumer waste to Eastman. Eastman intends to recycle the material at the company’s planned chemical recycling facility in Normandy, France. Representing a $1 billion investment, the planned facility is expected to be operational by 2026 and reach full capacity in 2030.

“We are very pleased to enter into this agreement with Eastman since our group is strongly committed to promoting a continuous transition from a linear to a circular economy in the packaging market,” says Corrado Dentis, Dentis/Nord Pal Plast’s chief executive officer.

Eastman expects its molecular recycling facility in Normandy to become the world's largest material-to-material molecular recycling plant. At full capacity, after phase 1 and phase 2, the facility will ultimately have the capacity to recycle more than 200,000 metric tons of polyester waste annually.

Eastman’s molecular or chemical recycling technologies enable the breakdown of plastic waste into monomer feedstock. This material is then repolymerized to create quality materials without compromising performance. Eastman's process enables materials to be used for subsequent production cycles without limitation.

“With over 70% of the feedstock secured for our upcoming recycling plant in Normandy, including materials typically rejected by mechanical recyclers, this agreement represents a significant element of our feedstock availability and reinforces our commitment to sustainable solutions,” says Brad Lich,  Eastman's executive vice president and chief commercial officer.