Recycling collaboration expanded: igus partner Mura Technology cooperates with Dow

Dow Chemical invests in Mura's HydroPRS technology. It has the potential to recycle all types of plastic and recover oil from them. (Source: igus GmbH)

The conversion of plastic back into oil in just 25 minutes, this is the promise of the "Hydrothermal Plastic Recycling Solution" from the startup Mura Technology. To enable the transition to a sustainable circular economy, industry companies worldwide such as igus are supporting the development of this technology. Now, another major partner, the world's second-largest chemical company Dow Chemical, has joined.

With the "Hydrothermal Plastic Recycling Solution" (HydroPRS), Mura Technology has developed a novel technology for chemical plastic recycling. The goal is to establish a sustainable circular economy for plastics and prevent plastic waste from entering the environment. The method uses water, heat, and pressure to convert plastic waste back into oil in just 25 minutes. The startup Mura Technology has already formed collaborations with engineering service provider KBR and the motion plastics specialist igus. At the end of 2019, igus was the first industry investor and increased its investment to 5 million euros in March. Now, with Dow Chemical, a global developer and producer of plastics, another major partner is joining. The collaboration will further advance the scaling of Mura's advanced recycling process.

Plastic waste becomes new packaging

The world's first plant using HydroPRS on a large scale is currently being built in Teesside, UK. The first line, with a capacity of 20,000 tons per year, is expected to go into operation in 2022. Once all four lines are completed, Mura will be able to recycle up to 80,000 tons of plastic waste annually and supply Dow with the raw materials produced through the process. Dow will use these to develop new plastics for food packaging and other packaging products, which will ultimately be reintroduced into global supply chains. Dow's commitment also aims to demonstrate that Mura's solution can meet both sustainability and performance requirements of the industry and that products manufactured with HydroPRS can be used on a large scale to produce new plastics. igus CEO Frank Blase also welcomes the cooperation: "Strong partnerships are needed to bring this technology to breakthrough and create a noticeable positive effect on the environment. We are pleased for Mura that Dow is on board."