Eastman Chemical Co. is joining with Circular Polymers LLC as a feedstock source for its new chemical recycling facility in Tennessee.
Circular Polymers will direct reclaimed PET carpet fiber from its California recycling facility to Eastman's recently commercialized chemical recycling facility in Kingsport, Tenn.
Circular Polymers of Lincoln, Calif., separates PET fiber from carpet backing, allowing the material to be densified and transported by rail to Tennessee.
Once reprocessed by Eastman, the recycled PET will go into the textile, cosmetic, personal care and ophthalmic markets.
Eastman and Circular Polymers expects to divert millions of pounds of carpet from landfill disposal during the first year of the partnership.
"Securing consistent sources of feedstock is an important element of our circular solutions platform, as it ensures we can provide Eastman customers with materials that contain certified recycled content," Eastman CEO Mark Costa said in a statement.
There will be more supply agreements with other sources in the future, he said.