More with Less

Reimagining Resources

More with LessACC and its members support the pursuit of a more Circular Economy, one that prioritizes resource conservation and efficiency, design innovations that enable longer product lifespans, and reuse, recycling and recovery technologies that allow us to capture the greatest value from materials that have traditionally been discarded.

The Science Behind Sustainability

Eastman Introducing Innovative Recycling Solutions

Eastman Introducing Innovative Recycling Solutions

Sustainability Challenge:

In the U.S. and Canada, while traditional mechanical recycling programs work well for recycling many plastic containers, these traditional technologies do not necessarily have the capability to process and recycle many other types of post-consumer plastics.

Chemistry Solution:

Chemical recycling technologies being engineered and implemented by Eastman offer new circular solutions for waste plastic materials that are currently landfilled or incinerated.

Sustainability Benefit:

A range of discarded plastic materials such as flexible packaging and films, among others, can be diverted from landfills and used as a feedstock to create new consumer products.

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SABIC is Producing Certified Circular Polymers from Plastic Waste for a Range of Consumer Goods & Food Packaging Applications

Sustainability Challenge:

Plastic waste, when not disposed of correctly, can end up in the environment, on land and in the oceans.

Chemistry Solution:

SABIC is pioneering to scale up a process that takes feedstock made from low value, mixed plastic waste that would otherwise end up in landfill or incineration, to produce original, high-quality polymers.

Sustainability Benefit:

Use of this process can enable wide-scale recovery of plastics, reducing waste sent to landfill, reducing dependency on traditional fossil-based feedstock, and creating a circular economy for plastics.

BE-Statue

Braskem Launches Closed Loop Value Chain for Plastics with Philadelphia Eagles

Sustainability Challenge:

Although many plastic products are recyclable, 26 million tons of plastic was landfilled in 2015.

Chemistry Solution:

Braskem's collaboration with the Philadelphia Eagles is helping educate a wider audience on the importance of recycling and repurposing single-use plastics.

Sustainability Benefit:

Increasing plastics recovery and recycling can reduce waste, conserve resources, save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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Kraton Asphalt Additive Helps Drive Sustainable Roads

Sustainability Challenge:

Highway engineers are seeking solutions that help enhance use of recovered materials in asphalt and enable high-quality roads and infrastructure.

Chemistry Solution:

Kraton asphalt performance additives enable development of durable, cost-effective roads using high percentages of reclaimed asphalt, enabling resource efficiency and shorter construction time.

Sustainability Benefit:

Kraton developed an asphalt performance additive that can help build sustainable highways by enabling use of reclaimed asphalt pavement in road rehabilitation projects.

More with Less-Plastic Collection Case Study Image

Dow Working to Turn Discarded Plastics into Roads

Sustainability Challenge:

Plastics materials that aren't recycled can pollute the environment.

Chemistry Solution:

Technologies made possible by chemistry can convert used plastics into road materials.

Sustainability Benefit:

In India, The Dow Chemical Company worked with government officials and waste collectors to collect and process enough discarded plastic material to pave 40 kilometers of roads-diverting 100 metric tons of waste from landfills in the process.

Hexion Resin Technologies Expand Use of Wood Resources

Sustainability Challenge:

Wood is a popular renewable building material; however, less than 65 percent of a tree can be used for solid lumber.

Chemistry Solution:

Hexion EcoBindTM resin technology helps manufacturers recover more usable wood from trees, resulting in a variety of engineered wood products for use in building materials.

Sustainability Benefit:

Engineered wood can enable more than 95 percent of every tree to be used, saving natural resources and expanding use of renewable wood resources.

Science Behind Sustainability: Circular Economy


Chemistry in Action

Plastic Recycling Process

U.S. Plastics Makers Set Circular Economy Goals to Recycle or Recover All Plastic Packaging by 2040

The chemical industry embraces the drive toward a circular economy for plastics because it helps demonstrate an overarching commitment to sustainable materials management.

Couple on Recycled Plastic Lumber Bench

Recycled Plastic Lumber: Coming to a Park Near You

Park benches, playground equipment, and even backyard decks and furniture made with recycled plastics have become increasingly popular, thanks in large part to the material's combination of good looks, durability and environmental benefits.