- Facility expected to be the largest of its kind to date in Europe, and the first of its kind in Germany
- Part of a goal for multiple planned units across Europe and U.S. to add as much as 600 KTA of advanced recycling capacity by 2030, enabling greater supply of recycled plastic content to major brands across the globe
- Mura's HydroPRS™ advanced recycling process is unique, as it uses supercritical steam to convert most forms of plastics, which have previously been deemed 'unrecyclable'
- Represents a key contribution to Dow's climate and circularity target to enable 1 million metric tons of plastic to be collected, reused or recycled by 2030
- Dow's support of Mura Technology enables Mura to build on its multi-year pipeline of planned projects, the first of which will be sited in Teesside, U.K. and is on track to be fully operational in 2023.
According to the company’s website press release on September 14, 2022, Dow (NYSE: Dow), the world's leading materials science company, and Mura Technology, the global pioneer of an advanced plastic recycling solution, today announce the next step in their ongoing collaboration to help solve the global plastics waste issue and advance circularity. Mura plans to construct a new facility at Dow's Böhlen site in Germany – the latest in a series of planned facilities across the U.S. and Europe to rapidly scale advanced recycling of plastics – and the first expected to be based at a Dow site. This project is targeted for a final investment decision by the end of 2023.
Mura's new Böhlen facility in Germany, which is expected to be operational by 2025, would deliver approximately 120 kilotons per annum (KTA) of advanced recycling capacity at full run-rate. This and the other planned units expected to be constructed across Europe and the U.S. would collectively add as much as 600KTA of advanced recycling capacity by 2030 – and position Dow to become the largest consumer of circular feedstock for polyethylene production globally.
"The continuation and growth of Dow and Mura's collaboration is another example of how Dow is working strategically to expand and build momentum around securing circular feedstocks and supporting breakthrough advanced recycling technologies," said Isam Shomaly, Dow business vice president for Feedstocks and Commodities.
"We continue to increase Dow's capacity to use recycled content as feedstock, and continue to invest in the most effective technology available to enable our circular business model for plastics," said Diego Donoso, president of Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics. "The diversification of our feedstock slate and decarbonization of our assets will enable the achievement of Dow's goal of a sustainable, low-carbon future, and meet strong and growing customer demand for circular polymers. This will be a significant step forward to decrease our dependency on virgin fossil-based feedstocks."
The planned facility builds on Dow's ongoing collaboration with Mura, first announced in 2021, with an initial project to construct the world's first plant using Mura's HydroPRS™ process, located in Teesside, UK, which is expected be operational in 2023 with an initial 20KTA production line. The Böhlen, Germany, site, expected to be co-located with Dow's manufacturing facilities, would enable a significantly larger capacity for plastic waste and considerably increase the supply of fully circular feedstock to the industry. This circular feed, derived from plastic waste currently destined for incineration or landfill, would reduce reliance on virgin fossil-based feedstocks and would enable Dow to produce a recycled plastic which is in high demand from global brands, particularly for high-end sensitive markets like food and medical applications.
Dow aims to take advantage of co-location benefits, which could significantly reduce the cost of scaling advance recycling facilities. In addition, co-location of Mura's facilities at Dow locations would be expected to reduce carbon emissions by minimizing transportation of the offtake and as gas output from the advanced recycling process can be converted back to plastics, thereby ensuring no by-products go to waste.
Steve Mahon, chief executive officer at Mura Technology, said, "Combating the global plastics crisis requires innovative solutions which can drive a circular economy. Mura's collaboration with Dow has led to the largest commitment across the industry to date, showcasing the urgency from industry leaders to adopt scalable solutions such as HydroPRS that will transform the plastics industry worldwide. Dow's continued support for Mura Technology has led to a highly financeable commercial arrangement and the deepening collaboration will allow both companies to achieve their stated ambitions in the advanced recycling space.
"Dow's commitments to accelerating a global circular plastics economy is exemplified through deploying HydroPRSTM at the newest advanced recycling facility in Germany, which will enable us to dramatically increase recycling capacity. Through our collaboration and Dow's extensive global reach, we can accelerate the pace and scale at which a circular plastics economy becomes a reality worldwide."
Mura's HydroPRS™ (Hydrothermal Plastic Recycling Solution) advanced recycling process is unique, as it uses supercritical steam to convert most forms of plastics – including flexible and multi-layer plastics, which have previously been deemed 'unrecyclable' – back into the original oils and chemicals from which they were made. These can then be used to create new, virgin-equivalent plastic products which are even suitable for food contact packaging.
With Mura's process, the same material can be recycled repeatedly, meaning it has the potential to eliminate single use plastic and prevent it from going to landfill or being incinerated. This has additional carbon benefits, with advanced recycling processes expected to save approximately 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide per ton of plastic recycled, compared to incineration and reducing reliance on fossil-based feedstocks.
- See explanatory video on the HydroPRS™ Process here.
- See here for video on Dow's drive for a circular economy for plastics.
About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines global breadth; asset integration and scale; focused innovation and materials science expertise; leading business positions; and environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership to achieve profitable growth and deliver a sustainable future. The Company's ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world. 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 applications. Dow operates 104 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 35,700 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $55 billion in 2021. 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.
For further information, please contact:
Judith Hicks (Dow)
jchicks@dow.com +41 44 728 2319
About Mura Technology
Mura Technology's mission is to eliminate global plastic pollution and create sustainable societies.
We are pioneering a globally scalable technology to prevent millions of tons of plastic and CO2 from entering our natural environment every year and turning an $80bn lost resource of plastic waste into a valuable global commodity. Our technology can recycle all plastic waste, and produces the ingredients for brand new products, reducing the need for new and fossil-fuel derived plastics.
We are partnering with the biggest global brands to scale worldwide and feed a sustainable plastics economy in the next decade. Our plan is to have capacity for 1,000,000 tons of plastic recycling in operation or development by 2025.
The company is based in London, UK. Visit http://www.muratechnology.com/
For further information, please contact:
Hill and Knowlton Strategies
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Where, in any forward-looking statement, an expectation or belief as to future results or events is expressed, such expectation or belief is based on the current plans and expectations of management and expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that the expectation or belief will result or be achieved or accomplished. A detailed discussion of principal risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results and events to differ materially from such forward-looking statements is included in the section titled "Risk Factors" contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2022. These are not the only risks and uncertainties that Dow faces. There may be other risks and uncertainties that Dow is unable to identify at this time or that Dow does not currently expect to have a material impact on its business. If any of those risks or uncertainties develops into an actual event, it could have a material adverse effect on Dow's business. Dow and TDCC assume no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities and other applicable laws.
