Eastman and Food City announce partnership to bring additional plastic recycling options to the region

KINGSPORT, Tennessee

Eastman, a global specialty materials company, and Food City, a leading regional grocery retailer, today on America Recycles Day, announced a partnership to bring an additional plastics recycling to the Appalachian Highlands region. The partnership will enable customers 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, Tennessee, where Eastman is headquartered. The collected plastic will be sorted and processed by Eastman's new mixed plastics processing facility, a part of the new molecular recycling plant which is the largest material-to-material recycling facility in the world, scheduled to be completed around the end of 2023.

“Eastman is proud to partner with Food City, a fellow community leader and innovator, to bring plastics an additional recycling option to our region,” said Brad Lich, Eastman executive vice president and chief commercial officer. “This partnership demonstrates our shared vision for a more sustainable future, where plastic waste is seen as a valuable resource that can be transformed into new products. By collaborating with Food City, we are not only providing a solution for plastics recycling but also educating and engaging our community about the benefits of molecular recycling and the circular economy.”

The partnership is part of Eastman and Food City’s commitment to advancing the circular economy and reducing the environmental impact of plastic waste. The announcement to provide drop-off locations for customers in early 2024 is in addition to an existing employee recycling program between Eastman and Food City where Food City collects employee plastic waste and provides it to Eastman for molecular recycling. By offering convenient and accessible recycling options to drop off plastics 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.

“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 chief executive officer. “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 will launch in early 2024 in three Food City stores in Kingsport and will expand to other Food City locations in the region throughout the following months. Customers will be able to drop off their plastic waste, such as water bottles, colored laundry and shampoo bottles, trays and fruit containers among many other plastic items. Additional information about how to recycle plastic waste will be shared when the recycling program is officially launched. The collected plastic will be transported to Eastman’s molecular recycling facility, where it will be converted into new materials for various durable goods applications.

The partnership is one of the many initiatives that Eastman and Food City are undertaking to support the circular economy and the sustainability of their operations. Eastman is a founding member of the U.S. Plastics Pact, a collaborative initiative to create a circular economy for plastics in the U.S. by 2025. Food City is a member of the Beyond the Bag Initiative, a multi-year collaboration to identify, test, and implement innovative alternatives to single-use plastic retail bags. Both companies are also committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption and supporting their local communities through various programs and partnerships.

About Food City

Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 153 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, North Georgia, and Alabama. Food City is well-known for its top-quality products, exceptional customer service, and extensive community involvement. The company is dedicated to its mission to “run the best store in town.” For more information, visit www.foodcity.com.

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