Energy and innovation

Advanced chemical products

ExxonMobil develops and produces a range of advanced products that reduce GHG emissions and improve sustainability. 

7%

fuel economy improvement possible with a 10% reduction in vehicle weight, delivered through an increasing plastic makeup of cars

>200

of ExxonMobil chemical products advance sustainability benefits, including agricultural films that increase crop yield, extend shelf life and decrease food waste

Rethinking recycling

ExxonMobil believes advanced recycling is a necessary complement to mechanical recycling to help reduce plastic waste in the environment. Simply put, advanced recycling can:

  • Convert difficult-to-recycle plastics back into virgin quality raw materials that can be used to make new products
  • Enable a broader range of plastic products to be recycled
  • Increase the number of times a plastic material can be recycled without degrading

ExxonMobil plans to build a large-scale advanced recycling facility at its Baytown, Texas complex, which will be among the largest plastic recycling facilities in North America. A smaller, temporary facility is already operational and will produce commercial volumes of certified circular polymers by the end of this year to meet growing demand. To date, initial trials have successfully processed more than 1,000 metric tons of plastic waste – the equivalent of 200 million grocery bags.

Over the next five years, ExxonMobil is developing plans to build approximately 500,000 metric tons of advanced recycling capacity globally. In Europe, the company is collaborating with Plastic Energy on an advanced recycling plant in Notre Dame de Gravenchon, France, which is expected to start up in 2023. The company is also assessing sites in the Netherlands, the U.S. Gulf Coast, Canada, and Singapore.

 Learn more about ExxonMobil’s advanced recycling process and plans
At ExxonMobil, we are focusing a significant portion of our industry-leading R&D capabilities on developing performance products that enable reductions in plastic waste, as well as technology options that convert plastic waste to valuable products through advanced recycling.
Karen McKee

President, ExxonMobil Chemical Company

product spotlight

Food packaging

Our light-weight packaging materials, including advanced polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) resins, help preserve and protect food products for longer – from the factory floor to your freezers. Preserving that food could help end global hunger and reduce food costs for billions of people. Advanced plastic packaging also reduces total product weight and allows more products per shipment, which means fewer trucks on the road and less gasoline used, adding up to fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Innovative plastics to combat food waste

project spotlight

Atando Cabos

Discarded plastic fishing rope were contaminating the delicate ecosystem of Patagonia. Atando Cabos wanted to recycle these ropes, but found they were made of incompatible plastics which couldn’t be separated. ExxonMobil worked with them to find a solution using Vistamaxx performance polymers, which not only allows the ropes to be recycled, but dramatically improves end-product quality. Read more about the project

A foundation for innovation

ExxonMobil Chemical has three world class technology centers in Texas, Belgium and China. Here, ExxonMobil scientists research the latest polymers, plastics and products that will meet the challenges of tomorrow.

 Expansion at the Shanghai Technology Center
Business lines

ExxonMobil Chemical

Our mission is to provide quality chemical products and services in the most efficient and responsible manner to generate outstanding customer and shareholder value while remaining committed to the principles of sustainable development.
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All articles about chemical

Transforming plastic waste through advanced recycling Deploying advanced recycling solutions will expand the range of materials that can be recycled and will help maintain the performance of products over multiple recycling loops. This could translate into lower waste for society overall.

Advanced chemical products Energy Factor • Oct. 11, 2021

Energy and health care are two sides of the same coin Energy and health care are two sides of the same coin, and every day ExxonMobil manufactures essential products that help protect nurses, doctors and patients.

Advanced chemical products Energy Factor • Aug. 20, 2021

Smart technologies for a smart refinery From voice recognition to machine learning, ExxonMobil’s chemical and refining plants are installing a number of “smart technology upgrades” targeted at reducing emissions and increasing energy efficiency.

Energy and innovation Energy Factor • May 7, 2021

Engineering solutions to the plastic waste challenge When people ask me what I do, I usually give the easy answer: “I’m an engineer.”

What that really means is my work is about finding solutions. We engineers use our technical expertise to enhance products and processes, develop novel technologies and try to find solutions to complex challenges. The challenge of plastic waste is a perfect example.

Energy and innovation Blog • Dec. 8, 2020

Essential service for those serving others When the U.S. Air Force started running low on hand sanitizer during the coronavirus pandemic, ExxonMobil quickly stepped in with a 10,000-gallon donation to help keep service members safe and healthy.

Risk management Energy Factor • July 14, 2020