Aduro, ECOCE enter collaboration agreement

Executive Summary

• Aduro Clean Technologies Inc. has entered into a multiyear framework collaboration agreement with ECOCE AC, a major non-profit environmental association in Mexico, to evaluate Hydrochemolytic Technology (HCT) for recycling flexible and mixed plastic packaging.
• The collaboration aims to address Mexico's significant waste stream of flexible plastics (approx. 1.5 million tonnes annually) by testing Aduro’s HCT on real postconsumer materials sourced through ECOCE’s collection systems.
• The program is structured in phases, formally beginning in January 2026, with the goal of assessing processability, yields, and product quality to determine future commercial deployment models in Mexico.

Key Details

• Parties Involved: Aduro Clean Technologies Inc. (technology provider) and ECOCE AC (non-profit environmental civil association representing Mexico's food and beverage industry).
• Objective: Jointly evaluate HCT as a chemical recycling solution for flexible and mixed plastic packaging, a priority waste stream for ECOCE that is difficult to manage via mechanical recycling.
• Scope of Work:
  • ECOCE will identify, characterize, and supply representative postconsumer flexible plastic packaging (including multilayer and mixed structures).
  • Aduro will conduct a structured, multistage program of Hydrochemolytic testing at its development facilities, ranging from laboratory to pilot scale.
  • Testing will assess processability, yields, product quality, and potential applications for resulting liquid products.
• Technology Context: HCT is a patent-backed platform using water and catalysts at moderate temperatures to break down hydrocarbon molecules into liquid hydrocarbons suitable for petrochemical feedstocks. Recent trials showed HCT oil can be processed with little post-treatment and yields comparable to fossil feedstocks.
• Timeline:
  • Dec. 3, 2025: Aduro’s Chief Revenue Officer Eric Appelman to present the collaboration at the Sustainable Flexible Packaging LATAM conference in Mexico City.
  • Dec. 15, 2025: Aduro to present technology and project plan to ECOCE’s full membership in Guadalajara.
  • Jan. 2026: ECOCE leadership to visit Aduro’s development facilities in London, Ont., including a tour of a newly commissioned continuous pilot plant.
  • Jan. 2026: Formal start of the multiyear, phased collaboration program.
• Future Considerations: Based on results, partners will study business models and routes to market. Potential options include facilities owned/operated by Aduro, ECOCE members, or third parties under license, and the potential establishment of an Aduro presence in Mexico.
• Regulatory/Commercial Status: Any future projects are subject to separate definitive agreements, regulatory clearances, and the progress of Aduro’s broader scale-up program (including its next-generation process pilot plant and demonstration-scale plant development).

Notable Quotes

• Ofer Vicus, CEO of Aduro: "ECOCE sits at the centre of Mexico's packaging value chain... By working together with real Mexican waste, we aim to study and explore a clear, shared vision of where HCT can add value, how it might complement existing systems, and what that could mean for future recycling solutions for ECOCE's members and Mexico."
• Adrian Velasco, Director of Flexible Plastic Packaging at ECOCE: "Our collaboration with Aduro is intended to allow us to jointly evaluate an additional chemical recycling route tailored to Mexican conditions. Our objective is to generate the information and partnerships needed to transform flexible and multilayer packaging from a difficult waste stream into a resource that contributes to the circular economy..."