In a forward-looking move toward sustainable practices, German companies Remondis and Evonik have set their sights on revolutionising the disposal of end-of-life mattresses. Their joint initiative aims to bring to market a polyurethane (PU) chemical recycling technology, targeting the foam content found in discarded mattresses.
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Europe discards an estimated 40 million mattresses annually, but a mere 17% is recycled. Shockingly, half of these mattresses end up in landfills, while 33% are incinerated. Evonik, in response to this waste, has developed a hydrolysis process geared towards recovering the polyols inherent in PU foams, a move poised to significantly bolster recycling rates.
At present, Evonik is testing its method at a pilot plant situated in Hanau, Germany. As the next stage, this technology will undergo testing at a larger demonstration plant. Remondis, in collaboration, will ensure a consistent supply of sorted PU flexible foams, enabling Evonik to scale up its recycling capacity.
The potential of this technology has already been tapped by Vita Group, a UK-based PU foam player, which has incorporated the recycled material into various flexible foam applications.
Source: www.recyclinginternational.com