Recticel and Covestro have formed a circular economy collaboration toward developing solutions for mattresses sustainability and recycling. This includes research of raw material technologies – from mattress production to end-of-life and beyond, according to a Covestro press release.
“Polyurethane mattresses are widely used for a long time and valued for their comfort,” said Boudewijn Dezutter, Commercial Director at Recticel, in the Covestro press release. “Now it is time to further increase the sustainable value of the material at each stage of the lifecycle.”
“The project is part of a long-term program with which Covestro is strongly oriented towards a circular economy,” stated Dr. Berit Stange, Circular Economy Manager in the Polyurethanes segment at Covestro, in the release. “In particular, we focus on using raw materials from sustainable sources, such as waste, plants and CO2.”
Polyurethane Mattress Sustainability
The press release states that the greatest potential for closing cycles in the plastics industry lies in the recycling of post-consumer waste. This applies to the recycling of thermoset materials like polyurethanes. Mass products such as mattresses are a main focus of this collaboration. Covestro states in the press release that it wants to contribute to this by developing chemical recycling technologies.
The company is part of the Europe-wide research project “PUReSmart,” which comprises nine companies and academic institutions from six countries and is coordinated by Recticel. The goal is to develop a complete circular product life cycle and turn polyurethane foam into a truly sustainable material: recover the used material (e.g. mattresses) and turn them into building blocks for existing or new products.
Covestro is investigating the feasibility of a short-term scale-up from laboratory scale to semi-industrial level, with the aim of making chemical recycling an efficient industrial process. This solution should then also support the current PUReSmart project.
Using CO2 for Flexible Foams
Besides the latest project to recycle post-consumer waste, Covestro has been putting emphasis on working with alternative feedstock for many years already. The use of CO2 as building block for chemical synthesis has been the focus – resulting in a breakthrough development: a CO2 polyol. A team of researchers from Covestro and RWTH Aachen University made it to the final round of the prestigious German President´s Award for Innovation in Science and Technology.
Recticel was the first company to support the development of Covestro’s CO2 polyol, cardyon®, and to implement it for the production of its flexible foams. The reuse of carbon dioxide contributes to closing the carbon cycle for mattresses. In January 2018, Recticel introduced the new second generation of its GELTEX® foam based on the CO2 polyol.
