Green news: Mura in feedstock partnership with Elite Recycling; Freepoint to build recycling facility in Belgium

Mura Technology, a next generation advanced plastic recycling solutions provider, has signed a feedstock supply contract with Elite Recycling Solutions.

Elite will supply post-use plastic packaging to Mura Technology’s world-first hydrothermal advanced recycling facility at the Wilton International science park in Wilton, Teesside, UK, which is currently in its final commissioning phase and expected to commence operation in mid-2024. Using its Hydro-PRT process, Mura will convert the waste into valuable hydrocarbon products which can then be used to manufacture new plastic.

The agreement with Elite follows an existing agreement between Mura Technology and Geminor, who will act as the principal feedstock supplier for this first site.

Mura Technology’s process, Hydro-PRT, is the next generation of advanced plastic recycling due to its use of supercritical water (water under elevated pressure and temperature), which distinguishes it from alternative recycling processes, such as pyrolysis.

The use of supercritical water ensures efficient and scalable conversion of plastic waste to hydrocarbons, enables the recycling of a wide range plastics, such as post-consumer packaging, and results in high yields of recycled hydrocarbons for use in the manufacture of virgin-quality, recycled plastics. Through this process, there is no limit to the number of times the same material can be recycled – meaning Hydro-PRT has the potential to significantly reduce the need for fossil resource in plastic production and permanently increase material circularity in the plastics industry.

By providing a route to recycle these hard to recycle materials, Mura has created a complementary process to operate alongside traditional mechanical recycling, not compete with it, as highlighted in the 2023 technical report by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC).

The first independent LCA by Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) of the University of Warwick in 2023 showed that for every tonne of waste plastic processed via Hydro-PRT, 1.8t CO2 eq. are saved when compared to the incineration of plastic waste, a current method of waste management – an 80% carbon emissions saving and equivalent to 40,000 tonnes CO2 eq. annually from operations at Mura’s first site in Teesside.

A new 2024 WMG study due to be published in June evaluated the carbon impacts of a combination of waste management approaches. The study found that combining advanced recycling with mechanical recycling resulted in a 42% carbon emissions saving when compared to the existing model of incineration and mechanical recycling, making incineration of plastic waste no longer the preferred option.

In other news, Freepoint Eco-Systems Belgium NV, an affiliate of Freepoint Commodities, and North Sea Port announced the signing of a long-term concession agreement for the development of Freepoint Eco-Systems' first advanced recycling facility for plastics in Europe. The facility will be situated in the Kluizendok site on the left bank of Ghent-Terneuzen Canal, Belgium, within the port area of North Sea Port. Upon completion, the facility will operate as one of the largest plastic recycling facilities globally, it claims.

Freepoint Eco-Systems aims to construct an ISCC-Plus Certified advanced recycling facility. The facility will recycle end-of-life waste plastic, diverting it from incineration. Spanning 24.7 acres of currently undeveloped land, it will have the capacity to recycle approximately 80,000 tonnes/year of waste plastic.

The project is designed for future expansion, with a plot capable of supporting an anticipated total recycling capacity of approximately 160,000 metric tonnes/year of waste plastic. Freepoint Eco-Systems is currently engaged in feedstock sourcing and financial planning, with construction slated to commence upon completion of the permitting process, which is expected in 2025.

"The announcement of our inaugural European location signifies the next phase in our global strategy," said Oscar Gutierrez, President of Freepoint Eco-Systems International. "We look forward to supporting the European waste management industry, offering solutions for hard-to-recycle plastic streams. Our plans underscore our commitment to helping the petrochemical industry achieve its goal of developing the circular economy and meeting low-carbon feedstock objectives."

Freepoint Eco-Systems specialises in developing and operating advanced recycling facilities for plastics globally. The Ghent location is the first of several European projects currently in development.

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