Editor’s Note: Resin markets, end markets and chemical recycling will be featured in sessions at the 2026 Plastics Recycling Conference, Feb. 23-25 in San Diego, California. Register now!
Houston-headquartered ExxonMobil announced this week that its third chemical recycling plant in Baytown, Texas, was operational, bringing annual processing capacity to about 250 million pounds (113,400 metric tons) of plastic waste.
The global giant in oil refining, intermediate chemicals and polymers said it is on track to reach about 450 million pounds/year of chemical recycling capacity by the end of 2026. In November 2024, ExxonMobil announced plans to expand its US chemical recycling footprint, adding to its original unit that started up in December 2022.
In this week’s statement, the company noted that it has the technology and expertise to expand chemical recycling, which also is known as advanced recycling. “What’s essential now is supportive policy frameworks — clear, consistent laws and regulations that recognize advanced recycling as a proven solution for hard-to-recycle plastics.
“We’re seeking the opportunity to keep doing what works, not asking for subsidies. That’s why we’re in support of federal legislation that would officially recognize advanced recycling as recycling, establish clear standards for recycled content claims, and ensure alignment across federal agencies, providing clarity for both industry and consumers.”
ExxonMobil uses the pyrolysis process to break down hard-to-recycle plastics into their molecular building blocks, which can be used as feedstock for making virgin-quality polymers.
