Eastman partners with Circular Polymers to recycle waste carpets

With each passing day, the challenges associated with waste recycling is intensifying across developed countries. Old carpets pulled from houses and commercial buildings have turned out to be the most problematic waste materials in the United States.

To counter this, U.S. chemical company Eastman Chemical Co. has recently taken an initiative to convert post-consumer carpet into new materials using its carbon renewal technology. According to reports, the company has joined forces with Circular Polymers, a firm that recovers post-consumer waste products for recycling, under which it would get a steady source of feedstock for carbon renewable technology.

Reportedly, Circular Polymers would collect polyester carpet from businesses and homes and recycle it at Eastman’s s California facility. Following this, Eastman will separate the PET fiber from carpeting with unique recycling technology.

Moreover, Circular Polymer would densify these fibers, which would further be transported to Eastman’s Tennessee-based manufacturing unit for chemical recycling. Those materials would eventually be utilized to produce products such as cosmetics, textiles, and ophthalmic.

According to Mark Costa, Chairman and CEO, Eastman, their company’s work with Circular Polymers would avert large quantities of post-consumer carpet waste from landfills in the first year following the agreement.

He claims that getting a steady source of feedstock is a vital element of the Eastman’s circular solution platform, as their firm provides material that contains certified recycled content to its customers.

Additionally, this is the company’s first announcement on sourcing feedstock for its chemical recycling technologies and could see further developments in the future.

As per David Bender, CEO of Circular Polymers, the company is excited to partner with Eastman on projects that benefits mankind. Their firm also congratulates Eastman on its leadership in CARE, a non-profit organization.

Founded in 2002, CARE aims at supporting and facilitating market-based solutions that keep carpet out of landfills. Since conception it has diverted over 5 billion pounds of carpet from landfills.
 

Source Credit - https://www.eastman.com/Company/News_Center/2019/Pages/Eastman-to-recycle-discarded-carpet-into-new-materials.aspx