Aduro, ECOCE to Advance Chemical Recycling for Mexico’s Flexible Plastics

London, Ontario-based Aduro Clean Technologies Inc. has signed a multi-year framework agreement with Mexico’s packaging stewardship group ECOCE to test whether the Canadian firm’s Hydrochemolytic Technology can convert the country’s growing volume of flexible and mixed plastic packaging into usable feedstocks, according to statements released by both organizations. 

ECOCE oversees Mexico’s industry-backed system for collecting and recycling post-consumer PET, HDPE, aluminum and other packaging types. The group notes brand-owner commitments and rising volumes of hard-to-recover films have pushed flexible packaging to the top of its circularity agenda.

Under the new program, ECOCE will supply representative samples of post-consumer films gathered through its national take-back network. Aduro will run a structured evaluation at its Canadian development facilities, beginning with lab work and progressing to pilot-scale runs to examine processability, product yields and the quality of the liquid hydrocarbons produced.

Flexible plastics remain one of the most difficult fractions in Mexico’s waste stream. Aduro estimates the country generates six to seven million metric tons of plastic waste annually, with roughly 1.5 million tons coming from flexible formats, often made from multiple polymers, inks and adhesives that limit compatibility with mechanical recycling. Industry groups say much of this material ends up in engineered fuel applications, landfill or dispersed in the environment.

Aduro says its Hydrochemolytic process breaks down mixed and contaminated plastics at moderate temperatures using catalysts, producing liquid hydrocarbons suitable for further upgrading into petrochemical feedstocks. The company points to independent steam-cracking trials showing that oils derived from HCT can run alongside fossil inputs with comparable furnace stability and olefin yields.

ECOCE and Aduro intend to use the findings to map potential commercial pathways, including ownership or licensing models involving ECOCE member companies or third-party operators. Decisions on deployment will rely on technology performance, downstream offtake demand and Mexico’s regulatory environment for advanced recycling facilities.

Preparatory work is already underway. Aduro plans to brief ECOCE’s membership on project details at a December meeting in Guadalajara. ECOCE representatives are expected to tour Aduro’s newly commissioned pilot plant in London, Ontario, early next year. Market observers say the project could help determine whether chemical recycling can scale in middle-income markets where informal collection systems dominate and packaging compositions vary widely. The collaboration is scheduled to begin in January 2026, with stage-by-stage reviews guiding subsequent steps.

Source: Aduro Clean Technologies

SUNSHINE Spotlight: The Aduro–ECOCE partnership will test whether chemical recycling can extract value from Mexico’s fast-rising flexible-packaging waste stream.