The Europe-wide recycling alliance for polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), launched last year by Röhm with partners from the plastics value chain, is drawing strong interest and demand across the industry. The initiative targets higher collection of PMMA from end-user products and post-consumer waste, with the goal of establishing a closed-loop material cycle. Since its formation, European PMMA recovery rates have risen significantly. The alliance operates an advanced collection and sorting network for PMMA waste and provides routes for mechanical recycling, with chemical recycling being prepared. These activities are intended to recover high-quality feedstock suitable for use in products with virgin-grade performance. Röhm has been collaborating with partners on targeted circularity projects, particularly in automotive applications, and participating companies report that the program helps them secure recycling solutions within Europe while reducing exports of PMMA waste outside the EU.
Alliance progress and market response
Stakeholders report stronger engagement from PMMA processors and improved access to organized recycling channels. Heiko Pfister, Managing Director of Pekutherm, said: "We’re delighted that our joint initiative has energized the market. Several PMMA processors are thankful to now have access to a recycling system within Europe and are increasingly avoiding exports outside the EU." The alliance combines collection and sorting with mechanical recycling options and is preparing chemical recycling, aiming to supply high-quality secondary raw materials that meet stringent application requirements.
Automotive demonstrator and next steps
Röhm, Valeo and the Renault Group’s consortium The Future Is Neutral have developed a prototype taillight produced from recycled PMMA. The Future Is Neutral supplied end-of-life taillights, Röhm formulated materials containing 30% mechanically recycled content, and Valeo produced a demonstrator with these compounds. Röhm plans to showcase the prototype at this year’s K trade fair in October.
A second testing phase using chemically recycled taillights is being prepared. Sven Schröbel, Head of Sustainability Management for Röhm’s Molding Compounds business unit, said: "We want to leverage the activities and expertise of our recycling alliance to directly compare both recycling approaches." The partners position this work as a step toward circularity in the automotive industry, aligned with regulatory drivers from the European Union. The European Parliament has voted to revise the End-of-Life Vehicle Regulation, and the latest draft foresees that future vehicles must contain at least 20% plastics sourced from post-consumer waste. To provide manufacturers with flexibility, up to 50% of this quota may be met using pre-consumer recycled materials.
About The Future Is Neutral
The Future Is Neutral is a consortium established by the Renault Group to promote circular economy principles within the automotive industry. Its mission is to significantly increase the share of recycled materials in new vehicles through technological innovation, industrial-scale solutions and cross-sector collaboration.
The versatile material polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) not only impresses with its durability, but also with its outstanding recyclability. © Röhm GmbH
