Rebond Rebound event aims to expand the circular economy opportunities for rebond polyurethane foam
PITTSBURGH, March 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Covestro LLC and the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) recently hosted the “Rebond Rebound” make-a-thon event, which was intended as a launchpad aimed at identifying new business models and end-use markets for bonded flexible polyurethane foam scrap, or rebond. Commonly used as carpet padding, rebond is a recycling success story that extends the use phase of materials like foam mattresses and production scrap that would otherwise be destined for disposal.
The goal of the Rebond Rebound event is to find new ways to maximize the use and reach of rebond material in order to keep it in service and out of landfills. The event featured input and guidance from experts in the rebond foam, recycling, and material innovation industries to explain the challenges faced with end-of-life flexible foam materials.
“One of the most common uses for waste flexible foam, particularly from mattresses and furniture, is to give it a second life as rebond in carpet padding,” said Fabio Scaldaferri, Owner & President of Pacific Mattress Recycling Inc. “Over the long term, the possibility exists that homes and buildings trend toward more hard flooring materials, which would shrink the market for carpet padding. We need new ideas for how to diversify end markets and sustainably manage waste material that would have traditionally gone into that market.”
If new uses are uncovered, rebond and other scrap foam applications represent an attractive outlet for even larger quantities of post-industrial and post-consumer flexible polyurethane foam because the logistics, manufacturing process, quality control, safety measures and producers currently exist. Through the Rebond Rebound event, Covestro and MRC convened a hyper-focused two-day brainstorming exercise to address that challenge head-on.
“Covestro’s vision is to become fully circular,” explains Richard Skorpenske, Head of Polyurethane Advocacy and Sustainability, Covestro LLC. “One of the key drivers in becoming fully circular is working with organizations, like the MRC, that have the expertise to help us get there. With this event, we feel like we really captured ideas that will allow us to capitalize on this collaboration.”
As the inventor of polyurethane, Covestro has a rich history of research, development, design and production of polyurethane materials. Covestro plans to leverage this experience in its work with MRC as the organizations focus on innovation around recycling and end-of-life processes related to mattresses.
Both Covestro and the MRC view the Rebond Rebound event as a success. “Collaboration of this kind is fundamental to achieving both our organizations’ sustainability goals,” said Ryan Trainer, MRC President. “The foundation laid over the past week will provide ideas to build upon as we continue developing and refining projects that move us towards a more circular economy.”
For more information about how Covestro is working to fulfill its vison to become fully circular, visit:
https://www.covestro.com/en/sustainability/what-drives-us/circular-economy
About Covestro LLC:
Covestro LLC is one of the leading producers of high-performance polymers in North America and is part of the global Covestro business, which is among the world’s largest polymer companies with 2019 sales of EUR 12.4 billion. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, electrical and electronics and healthcare industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics and the chemical industry itself. Covestro has 30 production sites worldwide and employed approximately 17,200 people at the end of 2019.
Find more information at www.covestro.us.
About the Mattress Recycling Council:
The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) is a nonprofit organization that operates recycling programs in states that have passed mattress recycling laws: California, Connecticut and Rhode Island. MRC was founded by the bedding industry and recycles more than 1.5 million mattresses each year. For more information about MRC, go to www.mattressrecyclingcouncil.org. To learn how to recycle your mattress or to find a collection location or event near you, visit www. byebyemattress.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.