Aduro Clean Technologies has completed successful initial testing of synthetic turf, commonly used in sports stadiums and landscaping, as a feedstock for its proprietary Hydrochemolytic Technology (HCT).

Aduro Clean Technologies has completed initial testing of synthetic turf as feedstock for its chemical recycling methods.

Challenges to mechanical recycling multilayer synthetic turf

The samples reflected the typical multilayer structure of modern synthetic turf systems, including polyethylene (PE) grass blades, polypropylene (PP) thatch layers, primary and secondary PP backing layers, residual infill materials such as silica sand and crumb rubber and polyurethane adhesives used to secure the backing and fibers.

This complex composition, which combines multiple plastics, thermoset adhesives, and inorganic materials, poses challenges for mechanical recycling and limits compatibility with conventional chemical recycling methods that rely on cleaner, more uniform input streams.

“Synthetic turf is a good example—its multilayer construction, bonded components, and contamination make it difficult to process through traditional means. These are the kinds of waste streams that may be better suited to right-sized, modular chemical recycling systems like HCT,” said Ofer Vicus, CEO of Aduro.

Aduro Hydrochemolytic Technology (HCT) for chemical recycling

Testing showed that Aduro’s chemical recycling process selectively converted the polyolefin components of the turf into shorter-chain hydrocarbon products, which are relevant as potential feedstocks for steam cracking and new polymer production.

This was achieved without extensive preprocessing, as the process demonstrated tolerance for the mixed materials and contaminants typically present in aged turf systems.

These outcomes contribute to ongoing efforts to evaluate the applicability of Hydrochemolytic Technology to complex waste streams that are not readily addressed by conventional recycling methods.

Future development work

Aduro is continuing development work with industry stakeholders, including additional testing, output characterization, and evaluations related to process economics and scale-up potential.

This work is part of the Company’s broader effort to assess the applicability of Hydrochemolytic Technology to complex waste streams that are underserved by traditional recycling infrastructure.

The Company’s Next Generation Process (NGP) Pilot Plant, currently under construction, is designed with the flexibility to process a broad range of feedstocks. Insights gained from the field turf testing program will help inform future operating strategies and feedstock evaluation protocols at the pilot scale.

Beyond artificial turf, carpet material also poses recovery challenges that would suggest it could be a future candidate for modular, scalable chemical recycling.