Two years after walking away from a proposed pyrolysis plant to process plastic waste in Georgia, Brightmark LLC is once again looking to develop such a facility in that state.
This time, the San Francisco-based firm is eying Thomaston, Ga., for a 2.5 million-square-foot location that would process more than 400,000 tons of plastics each year. The estimated total price tag is $950 million.
It was in April 2022 that Brightmark and the Macon-Bibb Industrial Authority terminated an agreement to allow for the development of a proposed $680 million facility in Macon after strong local opposition. Macon and Thomaston are located less than 50 miles apart.
"Over the years, Brightmark has invested heavily in talent and innovation required to build and refine a circular solution capable of tackling one of the most complex issues of our time: recycling," CEO Bob Powell said in a statement.
"This investment in Georgia represents a commitment to supporting economic longevity and playing an integral role in building a sustainable future together in my home state."
Brightmark, in announcing the project, said it would spend more than $1 million in what it calls zero liquid discharge technology that will manage and process wastewater on site. This will prevent "any contact with any municipal water supply, including drinking water, groundwater, the Flint River and other local waterways."