Pioneering circular solutions to achieve our goal of full circularity
Mechanical Recycling: Transforming material leftovers into valuable resources
Mechanical recycling of rigid PU insulation boards is already a reality. Thanks to trusted partners, end-of-life foam boards can be collected, shredded and processed into new high-quality boards – while maintaining the material’s durability and thermal performance. This reduces the need for virgin raw materials and helps cut construction waste significantly.
One example: our partner puren transforms recycled PU into robust insulation boards, demonstrating how circularity and product quality can go hand in hand.
Chemical recycling: unlocking circularity at scale
With the Circular Foam project – an EU-funded collaboration with 22 partners from nine countries – we advanced chemical recycling for PU rigid foams. The project demonstrated how processes like chemolysis and smart pyrolysis can break down used foams into base chemicals and rebuilt them into new, high-performance foam. This work demonstrated the potential for full circularity – especially for materials and applications where mechanical recycling isn’t feasible. Together with our research and industry partners, we laid the groundwork for a scalable, high-quality recycling model across Europe.
With the Circular Foam project, we're making significant strides in chemical recycling for rigid polyurethane foam, moving us closer to our vision of full circularity.
Sustainable innovation in action
The CIRCULAR FOAM project¹ worked to advance PU rigid foam recycling. Led by Covestro, the initiative developed two recycling methods, chemolysis and smart pyrolysis, to recover high-quality polyols and amines for reuse in new foam production.
With partners including RWTH Aachen University, ETH Zurich, BioBTX and the University of Groningen, the project explored how these processes can be scaled for industrial use. Covestro contributed vital expertise from its pilot work on chemically recycling flexible mattress foams.
At a glance: how circularity becomes reality
Key Benefits
- Waste with potential: Rigid PU foams are collected, shredded and recycled into new insulation boards.
- Reused PU foams: The Circular Foam project breaks PU foam down to its molecules & uses them anew.
- Circularity in Europe: Covestro works with 22 partners across Europe on scalable recycling methods.
- Testing for tomorrow: Pilot plants and testing facilities for PU recycling are already running.
- Local collaborations: Regional partnerships with waste collectors support reliable material return.
Circularity in construction is not a vision – it’s happening right now. Learn more about our commitment to circularity.
