Mura Technology

A UK advanced plastic recycling company whose first commercial plant, at Wilton in Teesside, turns hard-to-recycle plastic waste back into oils for making new plastics.

About Mura Technology

Mura Technology recycles the plastic that most recycling systems cannot cope with. Many everyday items, such as crisp packets, plastic films and packaging made from several layers, are hard to recycle by the usual methods of washing and melting. Mura's process, called HydroPRS, shreds and cleans the waste, melts and pressurises it, and then treats it with supercritical steam, which is water held at very high pressure and temperature. That breaks the plastic back into liquid hydrocarbons such as naphtha, which chemical companies can use to make new plastics, including packaging for food. The company says the main step takes roughly half an hour.

Mura says it wants to be a leading producer of recycled hydrocarbons, to help the petrochemical industry cut its carbon emissions, and to reduce plastic pollution. Its chief executive, Dr Steve Mahon, has said the aim is to put an end to plastic pollution across the world, and has stressed that the technology works alongside, not instead of, ordinary mechanical recycling. The company's ambition, stated in earlier interviews, is to recycle one million tonnes of plastic a year by the end of the decade.

The UK site is the heart of the story. Mura's first commercial plant stands at the Wilton International industrial site in Teesside, in north-east England, and was built in partnership with ReNew ELP. Commissioning began in 2023, with a first capacity of 20,000 tonnes of plastic a year and room to grow. Mura's release described up to 50 direct jobs at the plant, around 150 jobs during build and commissioning, and about 100 more in related industries. Licensed plants are also planned abroad, including in Japan. We did not find a published address for its head office.

The company works closely with universities. A two-year knowledge transfer project with WMG at the University of Warwick built sustainability models, including life cycle assessments, to measure the environmental impact of each plant, and Dr Geoff Brighty has been named as head of sustainability and research and development. Partners named around the Teesside opening include KBR, Dow, igus, Chevron Phillips Chemical and LG Chem. We have not seen a values statement, so we cannot say more about day-to-day culture.

A company running a chemical plant needs a wide mix of people. There are process engineers and chemists who design and monitor the recycling, plant operators and maintenance technicians who keep it running, laboratory analysts who test the oils, health, safety and environment specialists, sustainability analysts who measure carbon savings, and commercial staff who work with plastics producers and brands. Chemical engineering, chemistry, mechanical engineering, environmental science and business are all relevant starting points, and the Teesside location gives people in the north-east a major industrial employer on their doorstep.

What they do

• {'desc': 'The HydroPRS process turns mixed, hard-to-recycle plastic into recycled hydrocarbons.', 'title': 'Advanced plastic recycling'}
• {'desc': 'Naphtha and other oils sold to chemical companies to make new plastics.', 'title': 'Recycled feedstock supply'}
• {'desc': 'Licensing the process to plants outside the UK, such as in Japan.', 'title': 'Technology licensing'}

Key facts

• First commercial HydroPRS plant at Wilton International, Teesside, which began commissioning in 2023
• First line designed for 20,000 tonnes of plastic a year, with room to expand
• Company release spoke of up to 50 direct jobs at the plant
• Knowledge transfer partnership with WMG at the University of Warwick on sustainability models

Website: muratechnology.com