Röhm: Chemical recycling integrated into MMA plant in Worms

At its Worms site, Röhm is for the first time deploying a proprietary technology on an industrial scale that enables the processing of chemically recycled methyl methacrylate (MMA). The feedstock is polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), which is converted back into MMA through a depolymerization process. According to the company, yields of more than 90 percent are possible.

PMMA is used in a wide range of applications, including vehicle taillights, medical devices, and other technical products. Due to its chemical structure, the plastic is considered well suited to chemical recycling processes in which the material can be broken back down into its original monomers.

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The new purification technology will be integrated into the existing MMA production facility in Worms. This will expand Röhm’s existing infrastructure by adding a process step for the use of chemically recycled raw materials. In doing so, the company is laying the groundwork for a closed and scalable circular value chain within the PMMA value chain. Starting in summer 2027, the recycled MMA is to be used across the company, including in the manufacture of circular products under the “proTerra” brand.

The investment is part of a Europe-wide recycling alliance for PMMA that Röhm founded together with partners at the end of 2024. The aim of the alliance is to significantly expand the recovery of post-consumer and end-of-life PMMA and to establish a closed material loop for the material.

Within the alliance, responsibilities are divided along the value chain: Pekutherm collects and sorts around 5,000 tonnes of PMMA waste across Europe each year. MyRemono processes these volumes through depolymerization into technical recycled MMA (rMMA). Röhm then carries out the further upgrading of this technical rMMA in Worms into virgin-grade MMA.

According to Röhm, the process is intended to help return PMMA waste to the production cycle in a high-value form and thereby reduce the use of fossil raw materials. At the same time, the company points to future regulatory requirements to which customers will need to adapt by using circular raw materials.

The investment is being funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). The funding program is aimed at industrial companies in Germany and supports measures to save energy, conserve resources, and reduce emissions.

More information: www.roehm.com

Röhm GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany

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