Food City Stores in Tennessee to Become Hub for Advanced Plastics Recycling

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): Food City has partnered with Eastman, a global specialty materials company, to bring additional plastic-recycling options to the Appalachian Highlands region. The partnership will enable shoppers to drop off their plastic waste at designated collection bins that will be located at three Food City stores beginning in early 2024 in Kingsport, Tenn., where Eastman has its headquarters. The collected plastic will be sorted and processed at Eastman’s new mixed-plastics processing facility, part of the new molecular recycling plant that, according to the company, is the largest material-to-material recycling facility in the world, scheduled to be completed around the end of 2023.

“Food City is excited to join forces with Eastman, a world-class company and a long-time leader in our community, to bring plastics recycling to our customers,” said Steven C. Smith, Food City president and CEO. “We are always looking for ways to enhance our environmental stewardship and social responsibility, and this partnership will reduce our carbon footprint and support our local economy. Together, we can make a lasting impact across our region.”

The partnership is part of Eastman and Food City’s commitment to advancing the circular economy and reducing the environmental impact of plastic waste. By offering collection bins for the public, the partnership will help divert plastic waste from landfills or incineration to create valuable new materials that can be used in a variety of applications again and again. Eastman’s molecular recycling technology breaks down plastic waste into its molecular building blocks, which are then used to create new high-performance plastics that are indistinguishable from virgin materials. This technology can recycle plastics that are typically difficult to recycle, such as colored laundry detergent bottles, clamshell fruit packaging, polyester fabrics, shampoo bottles and much more.

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantage.com