Letter from our CEO

Accelerating our progress to build A Better Circle

This year marks a major inflection point in our strategy to build A Better Circle, so I’m excited to share Eastman’s progress in our 2024 sustainability report. This publication offers results and key highlights that reaffirm our commitment to the principles of the United Nations Global Compact.  

By beginning operation of one of the world’s largest material-to-material molecular recycling facilities in March, the Eastman team delivered a significant proof point of our vision to deliver a recycling system for the modern age. 

Through innovation and investment, we are leading toward a better future — one where we give plastic products infinite value, rather than considering them waste for landfill or incineration when we’re finished using them. Our Kingsport, Tennessee, site has the capacity to process 250 million pounds (110,000 MT) of hard-to-recycle plastic waste each year, putting us on a trajectory to achieve our 2025 recycling goal. 

We also announced the location of our next recycling facility. In Longview, Texas, we will build a plant that doubles our recycling capacity. Our technologies deliver material building blocks with reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to heritage processes.

In Texas, we will use solar energy and next-generation technology to produce Eastman Renew materials with up to 90% reduced carbon emissions, including avoided emissions, compared to fossil virgin production.

At our Longview facility, we will incorporate new zero-carbon energy technology in the form of thermal batteries with solar to illustrate out-of-the-box thinking to decarbonize industry. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) recognized our innovative approach by awarding Eastman up to $375 million from a grant program that addresses climate change.

We’re committed to investing approximately $2.25 billion in molecular recycling facilities around the world with a third plant planned for France.  

Leading brands are adopting Eastman Renew materials to deliver more sustainable products; you can read about several in this report. They include Patagonia, which chose Naia™ Renew for sustainable outdoor clothing, and PepsiCo, which will use Eastman Renew from our Longview plant to produce more sustainable packaging.  

Just as the plastic waste crisis demands bold action, so  does climate change. 

We are making progress on our climate strategy and the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. We are targeting a reduction of one-third of our Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and we have achieved approximately two-thirds of that 2030 goal.

Our sustainable innovation portfolio extends far beyond molecular recycling. We are delivering products such as Aventa™ compostable materials for food service, Saflex™ advanced interlayers that enable new innovations for electric vehicles, and Naia™ cellulosic fibers to bring sustainable fashion to all. These are a few of many examples, some of which you’ll read about in our report.  

I am fortunate to be part of a global team of thousands of people committed to an inclusive culture that fuels innovation and aligned around our purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way. Through innovation and collaboration, we are committed to building a better, more sustainable world for all.