What is advanced recycling?


Did you know that only 9% of plastics produced are recycled globally, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)?

That’s where ExxonMobil comes in. Our advanced recycling technology can help address that challenge.

Advanced recycling helps broaden the range of plastics we can recycle by breaking down hard-to-recycle materials and transforming them into raw materials which can be used to create new products.

Now, that’s a lot to wrap your head around, so let us show you how it works:

At ExxonMobil, we believe advanced recycling is a necessary complement to mechanical recycling to help address plastic waste that would have gone to landfill or incineration.

By supporting advanced recycling technology, we can help recycle more plastic, especially those that are not easily recycled today.

Dive deeper: Meet the faces of advanced recycling

Melanie: “When you go to an environment such as the beach and you see plastic waste you want to do what you can to help address it. What would be great to see is policy that recognizes all forms of technology for recycling the plastic waste.”

Matthew: “Many people are familiar with the processes involved in mechanical recycling… But in an advanced recycling facility, we’re linking equipment in new ways and figuring out how to recycle plastics that society is not recycling today. So there is a lot to learn.”

Stephanie: “There are so many essential items in our everyday lives that are made from plastic… They protect against contamination and decrease food waste. But today, many plastic items are not recycled, at least not yet. And that’s what we’re working on.”

Natalie: “The ultimate goal of advanced recycling is to help society recycle a greater share of the products we use every day – instead of throwing them away.”