ExxonMobil, Cyclyx, Sealed Air, and Ahold Delhaize USA demo advanced recycling for plastic waste

SPRING, Texas, April 27, 2023

• Circular solution for food packaging waste was first of its kind in the U.S.
• Flexible plastic waste from the food supply chain was recycled and attributed to ISCC PLUS certified-circular polymers used for new food-grade packaging
• First announced in April 2022, the project is now being evaluated for scalability

Creating a circular economy for food contact plastic packaging in applications where there are strict safety and performance requirements is a difficult challenge facing the industry.

"This project helps demonstrate how Exxtend technology can widen the range of plastic materials that can be recycled while delivering certified-circular polymers with the critical performance attributes of virgin plastic," said Dan Moore, vice president, Polyethylene, ExxonMobil. "Advanced recycling is making the impossible possible and is an important enabler to support a circular economy."

Ahold Delhaize USA brand Food Lion supported the initial pilot, collecting plastic waste for recycling at select store locations. With more than 1,100 stores across 10 states, Food Lion is one of the five brands that comprise the Ahold Delhaize USA network – the largest grocery retail group on the East Coast and the fourth largest in the nation. 

"Across Ahold Delhaize USA companies, we have ambitious goals around recyclable and reusable packaging," said Adam Springer, manager, Product Sustainability, Ahold Delhaize USA. "Based on the initial pilot, we're optimistic about being able to leverage this process at additional scale and look forward to exploring it further as part of this collaboration."

Cyclyx, a joint venture between Agilyx Corporation and ExxonMobil, was responsible for sorting and pre-processing the waste packaging materials collected from the Food Lion stores, before delivering them to ExxonMobil's Baytown, Texas facility. "The interface between the Food Lion stores and the Baytown facility was critical and required an innovative approach to feedstock management," said Joe Vaillancourt, CEO, Cyclyx. "Part of our process is to identify the chemical composition of the waste plastics we receive. This allows us to create custom blends of post-use plastic feedstock that are tailored to the specifications required for advanced recycling."