Dow and Eco-mobilier Partner on RENUVA™ Mattress Recycling Program

Dow and French bed and furniture EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) organization Ecomobilier today announced a joint new partnership for the collection and supply of post-consumer polyurethane foam for the RENUVA™ Mattress Recycling Program. As part of this innovation partnership, Eco-mobilier will use its used mattress collection and disassembly capabilities to supply post-consumer polyurethane foam to Orrion Chemicals Orgaform's chemical recycling facility recently announced in Semoy, France. "At Dow, we are working to address the challenge of discarded mattresses. For years, we have actively examined centrally organized waste collection, disassembly, and recycling systems for materials at end of life. France has set an example by developing an EPR scheme, and Ecomobilier is leading the way in mattress and furniture waste collection," said Neil Carr, President of Dow Europe, Middle East, Africa and India. "This partnership is a demonstration of an entirely new eco-system built with the aim of creating a circular economy for polyurethanes." Eco-mobilier has been collecting used mattresses since 2013. By 2019, collection volumes had already reached 66,000 tonnes, and Eco-mobilier's efforts have delivered significant improvements in post-consumer mattress recycling. However, markets for such materials remain limited. "Eco-mobilier and its manufacturer and retailer stakeholders are proud to support this. Said Dominique Mignon, President of Eco-mobilier: Through this pioneering project with Dow, we are closing the loop by opening a new era in mattress recycling. This is the final step in developing the RENUVA™ Mattress Recycling Program, which aims to recycle 200,000 mattresses per year in France and address waste disposal and incineration issues. The first production of RENUVA™ polyols is expected to take place in the first half of 2021."