Toyotsu Chemiplas, Sanyo Chemical Industries and Evonik Industries have launched a joint initiative to produce and use recycled polyols using chemical recycling technology for polyurethane foam. The initiative comes amid concerns about the environmental impact of continued landfill and incineration of waste polyurethane.
The 3 companies announced that they had launched a joint initiative to produce and use recycled polyols using chemical recycling technology for polyurethane foam.
Polyurethane foam is used in automobile seats, mattresses and furniture, but its environmental impact at disposal, including CO2 emissions and pressure on landfill capacity, has become a concern.
Conventional mechanical recycling through grinding and remolding has low added value and is limited in its ability to recycle materials at the raw-material level. The joint initiative therefore aims to circulate the material through chemical recycling.