Evocycle® CQ – our program for innovative recycling
Transition from linear to circular economy cannot wait
Plastic is a valuable material which makes everyday life more convenient. However, at the end of its useful life, it is often simply considered waste. Against this background, it’s our responsibility to ensure that used plastic is seen as a valuable new raw material, and that the related technical challenges are solved. The name Evocycle® CQ represents this urgent, ongoing evolution in recycling technology for plastics.
Evocycle® CQ Mattress – taking a straight path to circular
Our first Evocycle® CQ initiative is in full swing: we are transforming end-of-life polyurethane (PUR) mattress foam directly into its main building blocks, giving old foam new life within a streamlined circular ecosystem.
For the first time, we give both polyether and toluene diamine (TDA), a precursor of toluene diisocyanate (TDI), new life by recovering them directly from old mattresses. Through chemical recycling, we bring them back into the value chain to create high-quality renewed PUR foam that also delivers top performance.
We cannot achieve this transformation on our own, so we are collaborating with partners from all fields of recollecting, recycling and reuse to magnify our impact and exploit all of the expertise available across the circular value chain.
This is how we can help transform the industry, turning waste into a valuable resource, reducing the use of fossil fuels and significantly reducing CO2 emissions*.
“The development of this innovative recycling technology and the investment in the pilot plant are further milestones in realizing our vision of fully aligning Covestro to the circular economy. In doing so, we want to replace fossil resources in production, steadily further reduce the carbon footprint of our materials and create new solutions for dealing with plastic waste.”
Evocycle® CQ Mattress: pilot plant in operation for next level chemical recycling
Our innovative pilot plant is designed to transform and expand recycling into an efficient industrial process. The aim is to validate laboratory results, optimize the process and develop products and applications on a small industrial scale. This is an important step in taking the development of the circular economy to a new level.
Join us on the straight path to circular!
Giving PUR foam a new life while significantly reducing CO2 emissions* within a streamlined circular ecosystem, is no easy task.
So our common journey will continue, as we jointly master the technical and economic challenges in an atmosphere of collaboration and insight. Our goal is to turn end-of-life PUR foam material into a valuable resource for foam producers, mattress makers, consumers and recyclers.
Key Benefits
- Circular solution: Evocycle® CQ gives end-of-life plastic new life in a streamlined ecosystem.
- Waste to resource: Chemical recycling enables the recovery of polyether and toluene diamine.
- Lower CO₂ emissions: Closing the loop for PUR foam significantly reduces CO₂ emissions*.
- Join us: Mastering technical and economic challenges in an atmosphere of collaboration.
