Covestro Completes New Project in Europe

Covestro, together with its partners, is conducting research on how to substantially improve the recycling of polyurethane plastics. The material producer is running a project called "PUReSmart" across Europe, which encompasses nine companies and academic institutions from six countries. The project aims to develop fully circular product lifecycles and transform polyurethane into a completely sustainable material. One of the materials made from polyurethane is soft and rigid foam required for beds and upholstered furniture and the insulation and cooling equipment of buildings. The PUReSmart project will run for four years and will receive EUR 6 million in financing support from the European Union under the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 814543). Coordinated by Belgian company Recticel, the project aims to recover 90% of the polyurethane used to create building blocks for existing or new products (for example, a new polymer combining the durability of thermosets with the recyclability of thermoplastics). One of the areas the project focuses on is intelligent sorting systems, which will provide an opportunity for more efficient chemical conversion.