ExxonMobil starts its third advanced recycling unit at Baytown, boosting plastic waste processing capacity and supporting global circular economy goals.
ExxonMobil Corporation has announced the successful start-up of its third advanced recycling unit at the company’s integrated manufacturing complex in Baytown, Texas. The commissioning of this new unit marks a significant milestone in ExxonMobil’s broader strategy to tackle plastic waste challenges while advancing the development of a more circular economy for plastics.
The Baytown facility has long been a cornerstone of ExxonMobil’s global manufacturing footprint, and the addition of this latest advanced recycling unit further strengthens its role as a hub for innovation in materials management and sustainability-focused technologies. With the new unit now fully operational, the Baytown complex has the capability to process up to approximately 250 million pounds of plastic waste every year. This capacity represents a major step forward in scaling advanced recycling solutions that aim to divert plastic waste from landfills and incineration while enabling its reuse in high-value applications.
Advanced recycling differs from traditional mechanical recycling by using proprietary technologies to break down hard-to-recycle plastic waste into its original molecular components. These components can then be processed and transformed into new raw materials suitable for producing a wide range of products, including fuels, lubricants, and certified-circular polymers. Such polymers can be used in applications that require high performance and quality, including food-grade packaging, medical supplies, and durable consumer goods—areas where mechanically recycled plastics often face limitations.
ExxonMobil emphasized that the start-up of the third unit underscores the company’s continued investment in scalable technologies designed to address growing global plastic waste concerns. According to the company, increasing advanced recycling capacity is critical to meeting rising demand for circular materials while supporting customers and brand owners who are working to meet their sustainability commitments.
The Baytown expansion also aligns with ExxonMobil’s longer-term global ambitions. The company stated that it remains on track to achieve approximately 450 million pounds of annual advanced recycling capacity across its worldwide facilities by the end of 2026. This target reflects ExxonMobil’s intent to expand advanced recycling operations not only in the United States but also in key international markets where plastic waste management infrastructure is under pressure.
Beyond environmental considerations, the project contributes to local economic activity by supporting skilled jobs during construction, start-up, and ongoing operations. The Baytown complex, one of the largest industrial facilities in the region, continues to benefit from investments that enhance its competitiveness while incorporating new technologies aimed at improving resource efficiency.
Industry observers note that large-scale projects such as ExxonMobil’s Baytown advanced recycling units play a crucial role in demonstrating the commercial viability of chemical recycling technologies. As governments, regulators, and consumers increasingly demand solutions to plastic waste, the ability to process significant volumes of mixed and contaminated plastics could become an important part of global waste management strategies.
With the third unit now online, ExxonMobil has reinforced its position as one of the leading players pursuing advanced recycling at scale. The company maintains that continued collaboration with municipalities, waste management companies, and value-chain partners will be essential to further expand feedstock supply and maximize the impact of advanced recycling in reducing plastic waste and supporting a more circular plastics economy.
