Novoloop in manufacturing deal with Huide to scale ‘upcycled TPU’ production

Duesseldorf, Germany – US polymer recycling and cleantech startup Novoloop, has entered a strategic partnership with Shanghai Huide Science & Technology Co., Ltd. to scale the production of it upcycled thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

The partnership, announced 9 Oct during the K rubber & plastics show in Dusseldorf, includes a five-year manufacturing agreement covering supply, pricing, and quality standards.

Novoloop has developed a proprietary chemical process that converts post-consumer polyethylene waste into “virgin-quality” Lifecycled-branded polyols and polyurethane.

Huide, a Shanghai listed company, is specialised in polyurethane technologies, and has developed “end-to-end capability from R&D and process scale-up to manufacturing and supply-chain management,” said Novoloop.

The company has two manufacturing sites in China, including its flagship plant in Shanghai and a subsidiary – Huide New Materials – in Ningde, Fujian.

The two companies have so far produced multiple batches of Lifecycled 67A TPU on commercial reactive extrusion lines using Novoloop’s polyol and formulations.

The batches, according to Novoloop, “have met all in-spec quality and performance requirements, confirming the viability of scaling TPU production with circular inputs.”

Under the terms of the agreement, the partners will also establish global recycled standard (GRS) traceability and reporting as output expands.

The companies will also aim to lay a framework to “onboard” additional grades of TPU in the future.

“This partnership marks a major step forward in making circular TPU commercially viable at scale,” said Novoloop CEO Miranda Wang.

The partnership, she said, can offer “dependable quality, traceability, and cost stability.”