Ecomembranes: Recovered Reverse Osmosis Membranes for Reuse in Industrial Water Treatment

<p class="font_8">Reverse Osmosis (RO) membrane technology has witnessed significant advancements in energy recovery and materials since its introduction to the market. However, these membranes are traditionally considered consumables, with a single life cycle in a specific process. Consequently, when standard cleaning rocedures fail to restore membrane performance, they are typically discarded in landfills or incinerated. With an estimated global annual disposal of over 1.5 million end-of-life RO membranes, it is crucial to transition from this linear use-and-disposal model toward a more sustainable, circular approach. This work aims to advance technologies in adapting industrial RO membranes for reuse within the same facilities or at different locations. Ecomemb is a spin-off of the University of Girona and the Catalan Institute for Water Research, founded in 2022 as the first European ompany dedicated to the sustainable regeneration of spiral-wound reverse osmosis membranes. </p>
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<p class="font_8">The presentation will showcase the lab-to-market journey and the most representative industrial applications of regenerated membranes over the last six years. The regenerated membranes have demonstrated positive impacts on RO system performance by increasing water production, decreasing operating pressure, meeting water quality standards, reducing economic costs (membrane replacement and monthly energy consumption), and reducing environmental impact (277-fold lower CO₂ emissions compared to producing a new membrane).</p>

Speaker Bio

Dr. Raquel García Pacheco is CEO and co-founder of Ecomemb, bringing over 15 years of experience in membrane technology. Under her leadership, Ecomemb is positioned as a pioneering company in reverse osmosis membrane regeneration, providing the industry with innovative solutions within the circular economy framework.

A Chemical Engineer (2008) with a Master’s degree in Hydrology and Water Resources Management from the University of Alcalá (2011), she obtained her PhD in Membrane Technology (2017) from the same university and IMDEA Water. Her research career has been recognized with highly prestigious postdoctoral contracts such as Marie Skłodowska-Curie (2018-2020) and Juan de la Cierva (2021-2024), distinctions that endorse her scientific excellence. She has led and coordinated high-impact national and European research projects and holds 2 patents, establishing herself as an international reference in membrane regeneration and reuse in water treatment processes.

Presentation time

December 9, 2026
8:10 am - 9:20am EST

Abstract

Reverse Osmosis (RO) membrane technology has witnessed significant advancements in energy recovery and materials since its introduction to the market. However, these membranes are traditionally considered consumables, with a single life cycle in a specific process. Consequently, when standard cleaning rocedures fail to restore membrane performance, they are typically discarded in landfills or incinerated. With an estimated global annual disposal of over 1.5 million end-of-life RO membranes, it is crucial to transition from this linear use-and-disposal model toward a more sustainable, circular approach. This work aims to advance technologies in adapting industrial RO membranes for reuse within the same facilities or at different locations. Ecomemb is a spin-off of the University of Girona and the Catalan Institute for Water Research, founded in 2022 as the first European ompany dedicated to the sustainable regeneration of spiral-wound reverse osmosis membranes.

The presentation will showcase the lab-to-market journey and the most representative industrial applications of regenerated membranes over the last six years. The regenerated membranes have demonstrated positive impacts on RO system performance by increasing water production, decreasing operating pressure, meeting water quality standards, reducing economic costs (membrane replacement and monthly energy consumption), and reducing environmental impact (277-fold lower CO₂ emissions compared to producing a new membrane).