MMAtwo · Project

Turning Waste Acrylic Plastic Back Into Premium Raw Material at 90% of Virgin Price

manufacturingPilotedTRL 7

You know those clear plastic sheets, car taillights, and phone screens? They're made from a plastic called PMMA — basically acrylic. Right now, most of it ends up in landfill after use, even though it can technically be "uncooked" back into the raw ingredient. This project built an industrial recycling process that breaks old acrylic down to its original building blocks and purifies them so manufacturers can use them again — at 90% of the cost of buying new material, while cutting energy use by over 70% and CO2 by over 60%.

By the numbers

Billion €

Potential market size for PMMA recycling from post-industrial and post-consumer sources

70%

Targeted reduction in energy needs compared to current processes

60%

Targeted reduction in CO2 emissions

90%

Price of recycled MMA relative to virgin MMA

10%

Share of annual PMMA production currently recycled (production scraps only)

TRL7

Validation level achieved for the lead-free depolymerization process

The business problem

What needed solving

Most acrylic plastic (PMMA) from cars, electronics, and buildings ends up in landfill, even though it can theoretically be recycled back to its raw monomer. Current recycling is limited to production scraps — just 10% of annual output — leaving a billion-euro market of post-consumer and post-industrial waste untapped. Companies buying virgin MMA pay full price while sitting on mountains of recyclable acrylic they cannot economically process.

The solution

What was built

A lead-free depolymerization process validated at TRL7 that converts waste PMMA back into monomer-grade MMA. The project also delivered a versatile purification process, kitchen sink prototypes made from recycled MMA and PMMA (including fiber-reinforced versions), and established recycling standards for post-consumer PMMA products.

Audience

Who needs this

Plastics recyclers looking to add high-value PMMA recovery linesAutomotive OEMs and dismantlers managing End-of-Life vehicle plasticsBuilding materials manufacturers sourcing acrylic for fixtures and panelsElectronics recyclers recovering PMMA from screens and displaysPMMA producers seeking circular feedstock to meet sustainability targets

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Plastics recycling and waste management

mid-size

Target: Waste processors and plastics recyclers looking for higher-value recovery streams

If you are a plastics recycler dealing with low margins on mixed plastic waste — this project developed and validated a lead-free depolymerization process at TRL7 that turns end-of-life PMMA into monomer-grade MMA sellable at 90% of virgin price. Instead of downcycling acrylic waste, you could run a high-value recovery line with over 70% less energy than current approaches.

Automotive manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Car manufacturers and tier-1 suppliers managing end-of-life vehicle plastics

If you are an automotive manufacturer dealing with End-of-Life vehicle regulations and rising raw material costs — this project validated recycling of PMMA from old cars back into production-grade acrylic. The consortium of 21 partners across 8 countries established collection and processing standards for post-consumer PMMA, giving you a compliant circular supply chain for taillights, dashboards, and light covers.

Construction and interior design

any

Target: Building materials companies using acrylic in fixtures, panels, and surfaces

If you are a building materials company sourcing PMMA for kitchen surfaces, bathroom fixtures, or architectural panels — this project demonstrated recycled MMA in real kitchen sink prototypes. The recovered monomer meets quality standards for non-optical applications at 90% of virgin MMA price, giving you a cost advantage and a measurable sustainability story for green building certifications.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does the recycled MMA cost compared to buying virgin material?

The project targeted producing recycled monomer-grade MMA at 90% of virgin MMA price. Combined with over 70% lower energy needs in the depolymerization process, this creates a meaningful cost advantage for buyers willing to use recycled feedstock.

Can this work at industrial scale, not just in a lab?

The lead-free depolymerization process was validated at TRL7, which means it was demonstrated in an operational environment representative of real industrial conditions. The project objective explicitly mentions enabling a first commercial unit soon after the project end (September 2022). With 18 industry partners in the consortium, scale-up infrastructure is built into the project design.

Who owns the technology and can I license it?

The technology was developed by a consortium of 21 partners led by Heathland BV (Netherlands). Licensing or access arrangements would need to be discussed with the consortium. Based on available project data, the intent is for an independent company to service major PMMA producers and their customers.

What types of PMMA waste can this process handle?

The project collected and processed PMMA from multiple sources: production scraps, End-of-Life vehicles, electronics goods, and construction materials. A versatile purification process was validated to handle different input qualities, including PMMA composites where inorganic fractions are also recovered.

Are there quality standards for the recycled material?

The project established standards for post-consumer and post-production PMMA-based products specifically to facilitate recycling. The recovered MMA was validated through repolymerization and tested in both optical and non-optical applications, confirming it meets production-grade quality requirements.

How proven is this — has anyone actually made products with the recycled material?

Yes. The project produced kitchen sink prototypes using both recycled MMA and recycled PMMA, as well as prototypes using recovered fibers from composites. These demonstrate real-world product manufacturing from the recycled output.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a heavily industry-driven consortium: 18 out of 21 partners are industrial players, with 9 SMEs and an 86% industry ratio — one of the highest you'll see in EU projects. The consortium spans 8 countries (Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey), covering major European PMMA production and recycling markets. Led by Heathland BV, a Dutch SME, with only 1 university and 1 research organization, this project was clearly built to deliver commercial results, not academic papers. The consortium structure represents the full PMMA value chain from waste collection through depolymerization to end-product manufacturing.

HEATHLAND BVCoordinator · NL
COMET TRAITEMENTS SAparticipant · BE
AYMINGparticipant · FR
KEUKEN & DE KONING BVthirdparty · NL
UNIVERSITEIT GENTparticipant · BE
ARKEMA FRANCE SAparticipant · FR
BENKEIparticipant · FR
AKG GAZBETON ISLETMELERI SANAYI VETICARETCARET ASparticipant · TR
Quantis Sarlparticipant · CH
QUANTIS SRLthirdparty · IT
PROCESS DESIGN CENTER BVparticipant · NL

How to reach the team

Heathland BV (Netherlands) — contact via project website or SciTransfer introduction

Order a report on this consortium See HEATHLAND BV profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the MMAtwo team about licensing, partnership, or sourcing recycled MMA? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the right consortium partner for your needs.

Order a report on this topic More in Manufacturing & Industry 4.0