Aduro Clean Technologies Collaborates with ECOCE to Advance Recycling of Flexible Plastic Packaging in Mexico

LONDON, Ontario, Dec. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aduro Clean Technologies Inc. (“Aduro” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: ADUR) (CSE: ACT) (FSE: 9D5), a clean technology company using the power of chemistry to transform lower value feedstocks, like waste plastics, heavy bitumen, and renewable oils, into resources for the 21^st century, and ECOCE, A.C. (“ECOCE”), a non-profit environmental civil association based in Mexico, today announced that they have entered into a multi-year framework collaboration agreement to jointly evaluate Hydrochemolytic™ Technology (HCT) as a potential chemical recycling solution for flexible and mixed plastic packaging in Mexico, a large and particularly challenging waste stream that ECOCE has identified as a priority.

ECOCE is a non-profit environmental civil association created and sponsored by the food and beverage industry in Mexico. It administers Mexico’s national private collective packaging management plan for post-consumer PET, HDPE, aluminum, and other materials on behalf of its member companies. This industry-led plan functions as a producer responsibility scheme through which participating companies jointly organize and finance the collection and recycling of their post-consumer packaging. Through nationwide collection, education, and take-back initiatives, ECOCE coordinates the recovery of post-consumer packaging and channels it into recycling systems across Mexico, a country of approximately 132 million people. Its membership includes many of Mexico’s leading beverage and food groups, including global consumer brands. Recognized as a pioneer in PET recovery and recycling in the country, ECOCE is now placing greater emphasis on the circularity of flexible plastic packaging by creating valuable circular destinations for these materials in support of the circularity commitments of its member companies.

Under this collaboration, ECOCE and Aduro are focused on evaluating the application of HCT on real post-consumer flexible plastic packaging from Mexico, including multi-layer and mixed structures, sourced through ECOCE’s post-consumer packaging collection and management systems. The collaboration contemplates that ECOCE would identify, characterize and supply representative material, while Aduro would conduct a structured, multi-stage program of Hydrochemolytic testing at its development facilities, from laboratory through pilot scale, to help assess processability, yields, product quality, and potential applications for the resulting liquid products.

The collaboration is intended to address one of the most challenging fractions in Mexico’s waste stream: post-consumer flexible plastic packaging. Mexico generates close to 60 kilograms of plastic waste per person every year, adding up to an estimated six to seven million tonnes of plastic waste annually. Within this total, flexible plastic packaging is a large and fast-growing category, with recent estimates indicating that around 1.5 million tonnes of this material are generated annually in Mexico, approximately 1.6 times the volume of PET beverage containers. Because these materials often combine multiple polymers, layers, inks, and adhesives in thin formats, they rarely fit into existing collection and mechanical recycling systems, and a high proportion is still destined for incineration, landfill, or leakage into the environment.

Hydrochemolytic™ Technology (HCT) is a patent-backed chemistry platform developed by Aduro that operates at moderate temperatures with catalysts to break down large hydrocarbon molecules into smaller, more valuable liquid products. In plastics applications, HCT is designed to convert mixed and contaminated waste streams, including multilayer and flexible plastic packaging that is difficult to manage mechanically, into liquid hydrocarbons suitable for further upgrading and use as petrochemical feedstocks, including in steam crackers. Recent independent pilot-scale steam-cracking trials have shown that a sample of Hydrochemolytic™ Oil produced from plastics using HCT can be processed as produced, with little or no costly post-treatment, while delivering stable furnace operation and olefin yields comparable to conventional fossil feedstocks, providing key building blocks for the production of new plastics.

Aduro is advancing HCT through a structured scale-up program, with its Next Generation Process (NGP) Pilot Plant nearing completion and active development underway for its demonstration-scale plant, including global site selection, and long-lead equipment assessments.

Based on the results generated under the collaboration, ECOCE and Aduro intend to study potential business models and routes to market that can create value for ECOCE’s associated members, waste collectors, and downstream offtake partners. The findings are expected to guide future decisions about how HCT-based recycling solutions might be deployed in Mexico. Options under consideration could include HCT facilities that may be owned and operated by Aduro, ECOCE members, or third parties under license from Aduro, as well as the potential establishment of an Aduro presence in Mexico. Any such projects would be subject to separate definitive agreements, and where applicable regulatory clearances, and would depend on the progress of the Company’s broader scale-up program.

The collaboration, structured as a multi-year, phased program, is expected to formally begin in January 2026. At each stage, the partners will review the findings and determine the appropriate next steps, ensuring that progress toward potential HCT-based recycling solutions in Mexico is guided by data and aligned with the objectives of both organizations.

Even ahead of the formal start, early activities are already underway. This announcement coincides with Aduro’s participation in the 2nd Sustainable Flexible Packaging LATAM conference in Mexico City, where Chief Revenue Officer Eric Appelman is scheduled to present the collaboration and the role of chemical recycling in handling films and flexibles on December 3^rd, 2025. Additionally, Aduro will present its technology and project plan to ECOCE’s full membership on December 15, 2025, in Guadalajara. In parallel, ECOCE leadership plans to visit the Company’s development facilities in London, Ontario, in January 2026, including a tour of a newly commissioned, fully continuous pilot plant that is expected to be instrumental in the collaboration.

“ECOCE sits at the centre of Mexico’s packaging value chain, with international members that also have a global presence, and Aduro is focused on developing Hydrochemolytic™ Technology as a new chemical recycling route for different applications and segments of the waste streams,” said Ofer Vicus, Chief Executive Officer of Aduro. “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.”

“ECOCE has more than two decades of experience coordinating the recovery and recycling of post-consumer packaging in Mexico, with notable progress in materials like PET,” said Adrián Velasco, Director of Flexible Plastic Packaging at ECOCE, A.C. “Flexible plastic packaging is now one of the main priorities for our association and our member companies. Much of this material is still considered ‘problematic’ because it does not fit easily into existing systems. 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, benefits local communities, and strengthens the commitments of the brands that support ECOCE.”

About ECOCE, A.C.

ECOCE, A.C. (Ecología y Compromiso Empresarial) is a non-profit environmental civil association created and sponsored by the food and beverage industry in Mexico. ECOCE administers the national private collective packaging management plan for post-consumer PET, HDPE, aluminum, and other materials on behalf of leading producers, coordinating nationwide collection and recycling programs, environmental education initiatives, and collaborative projects with private industry, government, and civil society. By fostering shared responsibility across the value chain, ECOCE works to advance circular economy practices and environmental sustainability in Mexico.

About Aduro Clean Technologies

Aduro Clean Technologies is a developer of patented water-based technologies to chemically recycle waste plastics; convert heavy crude and bitumen into lighter, more valuable oil; and transform renewable oils into higher-value fuels or renewable chemicals. The Company’s Hydrochemolytic™ technology relies on water as a critical agent in a chemistry platform that operates at relatively low temperatures and cost, a game-changing approach that converts low-value feedstocks into resources for the 21st century.

For further information, please contact:

Abe Dyck, Head of Corporate Development / Investor Relations
ir@adurocleantech.com
+1 226 784 8889

KCSA Strategic Communications
Jack Perkins, Senior Vice President
aduro@kcsa.com

ECOCE AC
Carla Gamboa
Directora de Comunicación
cgamboa@ecoce.mx

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, “forward-looking statements”). All statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements are often identified by words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “continue”, “expect”, “intend”, “may”, “plan”, “project”, “should”, “target”, “will” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, statements relating to the development, performance, scalability, potential applications and environmental benefits of Hydrochemolytic™ Technology (“HCT”) and other technologies of Aduro Clean Technologies Inc. (the “Company”); the Company’s research and development, Pilot Plant, Demonstration Plant and Commercialization Programs; the Company’s plans and expectations regarding its collaboration with ECOCE and potential opportunities in Mexico; the anticipated timelines for the collaboration, including its expected start date, phased structure, and review process; statements regarding the evaluation of HCT on post-consumer flexible plastic packaging, including multi-layer and mixed structures; statements regarding potential business models, routes to market, and deployment of HCT-based recycling solutions in Mexico; statements regarding possible establishment of an Aduro presence in Mexico and potential licensing arrangements; and statements regarding expected benefits to ECOCE’s members, waste collectors, downstream partners, and the circular economy.

Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions which, while considered reasonable by the Company as at the date of this press release, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Such assumptions include, without limitation, assumptions regarding the performance of HCT at laboratory, pilot and larger scales; the availability and suitability of waste plastic feedstocks (including post-consumer films and flexibles); the ability to design and operate pilot and demonstration assets to generate decision-quality data; the ongoing interest and engagement of current and prospective partners; the availability of capital on acceptable terms; assumptions that regulatory and permitting processes will proceed without unexpected delays; assumptions that market demand for chemically recycled products will continue to grow; and assumptions regarding the general stability of economic, regulatory and policy conditions in relevant jurisdictions.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, risks related to technology development and scale-up; the possibility that results from laboratory or pilot work may not be replicated at larger scale; collaboration and partnership risks (including the risk that the collaboration with ECOCE may not proceed as currently contemplated); feedstock availability and quality; project siting, permitting and regulatory approvals; financing; changes in laws and regulations relating to waste management and recycling; competition from other technologies; risks related to supply chain disruptions or delays in equipment procurement; risks related to changes in consumer or brand-owner commitments to circularity; and general business, economic, geopolitical and financial market conditions. Additional risk factors are described in the Company’s public disclosure documents filed on SEDAR+ and with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

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