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Mura Technology are very pleased today to announce our partnership with Dow Chemicals, one of the largest global manufacturers of plastic. The partnership will support the rapid scaling of Mura’s new Hydro-PRT process to prevent millions of tonnes of plastic and carbon from entering the natural environment every year and create the ingredients for a sustainable, circular plastics economy. Dow will also become an offtaker of recycled materials from the world-first plant in Teesside, UK, supplying major brands across the globe with sustainable plastic products.
The deal marks an important step in Dow’s commitment to advance a circular economy for plastics and take action to significantly reduce plastic waste in the environment.
In a move which will transform the global plastics economy, Dow will bring its financial strength and materials science expertise to work in partnership with Mura to produce the 100% recycled plastic feedstock that global brands require in order to eliminate plastic waste from their supply chains and address the plastic pollution crisis.
Mura’s proprietary solution, Hydro-PRT (Hydrothermal Plastic Recycling Technology), is a revolutionary advanced recycling process that uses supercritical steam to convert plastics back into the oils and chemicals from which they were made, for use in new, virgin-equivalent plastic products. Hydro-PRT can recycle all forms of plastic – including multi-layer, flexible plastics used in packaging, which are considered ‘unrecyclable’ and are usually incinerated or sent to landfill. Importantly, the recycled products may be suitable for use in food-contact packaging, unlike conventional recycling processes. There is no limit to the number of times the same material can be recycled with Mura’s process, meaning it has the potential to eliminate single use plastic and make the raw ingredients for a circular plastics economy, creating value not waste. In addition, advanced recycling processes are expected to save approximately 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of plastic recycled, compared to incineration1.
“We are delighted to offer our investment and expertise to support the development of this truly game changing recycling process. We are committed to enacting real change to stop plastic going to waste and accelerate moves towards a more circular economy. We know achieving this goal will take major innovation and investment and we can’t do it alone. That’s why our partnership with Mura is so exciting and why we believe it will form a key pillar of our recycling strategy going forward.”
Carsten Larsen
Commercial Director Plastic Circularity EMEA & APAC, Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics
Dow will play an important role as a global manufacturer of plastic, proving that Mura’s solution can meet the needs of the industry and that the products made via HydroPRS™ can be employed at scale to make new plastics. The world’s first plant using HydroPRS™ is in development in Teesside, UK, with plans to place 20,000 tonnes of recycled hydrocarbon products onto the market annually which is expected to be operational in 2024. Once this first plant is operating at commercial level, the intention is to increase capacity to over three times the initial size, providing Dow with chemicals and oils produced by the process. Dow will use these to develop new, virgin-grade plastic to be re-circulated into global supply chains, creating a true circular plastics economy. Dow and Mura are looking to co-operate on offtake at a number of additional European projects, currently in Mura’s development pipeline.
“Plastic pollution is a global crisis and our goal is to meet the challenge head on by eliminating millions of tonnes of plastic waste every year and turning it into a valuable resource for the world’s biggest brands. We’re changing the way the world thinks about plastics – not as something to throw away, but as a product that can be used over and over again, and sustainably, without damaging our natural environment. Our partnership with Dow will cement that way of thinking for global brands and deliver a circular plastics economy globally within the next decade.”
Dr Steve Mahon
Mura has designed its business model for rapid global deployment and is building a global network of partners. Dow joins other major global players such as KBR Inc., the US multinational engineering services company, Wood, the global consulting and engineering company, and Igus GmbH, a global leader in industrial plastics, as partners to accelerate the deployment of Mura’s technology worldwide. Mura’s HydroPRS™ process utilises at its core the Cat-HTR™ technology, which was developed by Licella Holdings Limited, New South Wales, Australia.
Alongside its first plant in the UK, Mura has identified development opportunities in Germany, the US – where it will develop new recycling plants in each country within the next five years – and Asian markets, as part of a rapid global rollout that will see one million tonnes of recycling capacity in development worldwide by 2025. The partnership with Dow will be a key driver of this goal. Mura is continuing to raise funds to drive further expansion and is in discussions with a range of global investors.
About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation and leading business positions to achieve profitable growth. The Company’s ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company, with a purpose to deliver a sustainable future for the world through our materials science expertise and collaboration with our partners. Dow’s portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings and silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer care. Dow operates 106 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 35,700 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $39 billion in 2020. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit www.dow.com or follow @DowNewsroom on Twitter.
