Dow and Mura Technology Forge Partnership to Scale Hydro PRS Advanced Plastic Recycling

Dow and the U.K.’s Mura Technology have announced a partnership aimed at eliminating plastic waste from the environment by scaling Mura’s Hydro PRS (Hydrothermal Plastic Recycling Solution). This advanced process can recycle every type of plastic—including multi‑layer, flexible packaging—without limiting the number of recycling cycles, while producing feedstocks that support a circular plastics economy.

By combining Dow’s global scale, materials‑science expertise and financial resources with Mura’s proven technology, the collaboration will deliver high‑quality recycled feedstocks suitable for food‑contact packaging—a capability that most conventional recycling methods lack.

Dow’s role as a worldwide plastics manufacturer will validate Hydro PRS’s ability to meet industry sustainability and performance standards, enabling large‑scale production of new plastics. The first Hydro PRS facility is under construction in Teesside, U.K., with a 42‑million‑lb‑per‑year line slated to start operation in 2022. Once all four lines are complete, Mura will recycle up to 160‑million‑lb‑per‑year of plastic waste, providing Dow with materials to produce virgin‑grade plastics for applications such as food packaging and other packaging products that will re‑enter global supply chains.

“We are delighted to invest our expertise in this truly game‑changing recycling process,” said Carsten Larsen, Commercial Director of Plastic Circularity EMEA & APAC for Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics. “We’re committed to stopping plastic waste and accelerating a circular economy, and this partnership will be a cornerstone of our recycling strategy.”

“Plastic pollution is a global challenge, and our goal is to recover millions of tonnes of plastic waste each year and transform them into valuable resources for the world’s largest brands,” said Mura Technology CEO Dr Steve Mahon. “We’re redefining plastics from a disposable item to a sustainably reusable product, and this collaboration with Dow will bring a circular plastics economy to life worldwide within the next decade.”

Mura has structured its business model for rapid global deployment, building a network of partners such as KBR Inc., Wood, and Igus GmbH to accelerate worldwide adoption of the Hydro PRS technology. The core of the process is the Cat‑HTR™ technology, originally developed and owned by Licella Holdings Limited in New South Wales, Australia.

In the coming years, Mura plans to establish new recycling plants in the United States, Germany, and Asia, targeting a global recycling capacity of 2 billion lbs by 2025. The partnership with Dow is a key driver of this expansion, and Mura continues to secure additional funding from global investors.