March 30, 2026 17:10

Starting in the summer of next year, Röhm will begin incorporating chemically recycled methyl methacrylate (MMA), produced through the depolymerisation of acrylic waste in cooperation with Italy’s NextChem, into its proTerra MMA offering manufactured at its Worms site in Germany.

The project is Röhm’s contribution to the European Recycling Alliance for PMMA, established at the end of 2024 to increase end-of-life PMMA recycling rates in Europe through both chemical and mechanical routes, with the aim of closing the loop for this polymer.

Within the alliance, Pekutherm will handle the collection and sorting of PMMA waste across Europe, targeting 5,000 tonnes/year. MyRemono, part of the NextChem group (Maire), will convert the waste into rMMA through depolymerisation, while Röhm will purify the rMMA to obtain virgin-grade monomer for use in its production process in place of fossil feedstock. Lastly, Polyvantis will supply Plexiglas ProTerra PMMA sheets containing a share of recycled content.

Röhm’s investment in chemical recycling is being supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy under a funding scheme for companies seeking to save energy, conserve resources and reduce emissions.

PMMA is used in a wide range of applications, from vehicle taillights to medical devices. Thanks to its chemical structure, the material is particularly well suited to depolymerisation processes, with yields of more than 90%.

The continuous catalytic depolymerisation process NXRe, developed by NextChem together with Biorenova, combines thermal energy with the action of a specific catalyst to break polymer bonds and convert polymethyl methacrylate back into its original monomer, MMA.

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