#Recycling / Circular Economy

2023-05-25

Innovative recycling to combat plastic waste

In view of the upcoming UN conference which aims to develop a legally binding agreement on plastic pollution, Covestro is emphasizing the need for more innovative recycling technologies, required to boost the currently low recycling rates of used plastics. Covestro has already achieved success with the development of its novel chemical recycling. In addition, the company plans to establish a global research center for processing plastic waste together with six other chemical groups.

Covestro drives forward technologies for recycling

Co-founder of planned research center for the chemical industry

In Paris, from May 29 to June 2, another round of international negotiations ("INC-2") will focus on drafting a global agreement against plastic waste pollution, which should be in place by the end of 2024. The international community initiated the process in spring 2022 at the United Nations Environment Assembly. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), around 22 million tons of plastic waste, including microplastics, enter the oceans and the environment each year1. Without countermeasures, the annual amount could double by 2060.

"Resource consumption is on the rise and mountains of waste are growing – with negative consequences for the environment and climate. We urgently need to take countermeasures here and fundamentally change consumption habits and production patterns," emphasizes Dr Markus Steilemann, CEO of Covestro. "We need to make the circular economy a reality, and recycling is crucial here, in addition to the production of long-lasting and resource-conserving products. Covestro can and wants to play a central role in this."

Joint research center for processing plastic waste

Currently, the global recycling rate of plastic waste is only nine percent2. But with more recycling on an industrial scale, one study suggests that nearly 60 percent of plastic production could be met by recycled materials by 2050, reducing petroleum consumption by 30 percent3. This is where the World Economic Forum comes in, through its Low Carbon Emitting Technologies initiative, which promotes collaboration on a global scale to accelerate the development of low carbon emitting technologies for chemical production, including processing plastic waste. Seven international chemical companies, including Covestro, have signed a collaboration agreed to establish a research and development center together with the Dutch research institute TNO. Initial work will focus on the sorting, cleaning and conditioning of plastic waste to make it suitable for subsequent recycling technologies.

One key problem is that some types of plastic cannot be recycled, or can hardly be recycled at all. That is why Covestro is pushing the development of chemical recycling as an additional method. This involves breaking down used plastic into its chemical components so that new material can then be produced from these molecules.

Breakthrough for mattress foam recycling

Covestro has achieved a technological breakthrough for the chemical recycling of soft foam for mattresses. So far, around 40 million of these end up in waste incineration plants or landfills each year in the European Union alone4. With the new "Evocycle CQ-Mattress" process, the two central foam components can now be recycled. At the company’s Leverkusen site in Germany, this process is being further developed in a pilot plant with the prospect of industrial use.

The chemical recycling of rigid foam for insulating buildings and refrigeration appliances is the focus of a Europe-wide research project CIRCULAR FOAM initiated in 2021 and coordinated by Covestro. Here, 22 partners from nine countries are working together. If the material cycle can be closed, around one million metric tons of waste and three million metric tons of CO2 emissions per year could be saved in the European Union from 2040.

In order to also improve the recycling of food packaging made of paper and cardboard, Covestro has been offering a new development on the market since May 2023. For this purpose, the company has developed a special coating material that, unlike conventional coatings, can be recycled together with the packaging. It is also produced itself in the spirit of circularity - with raw materials that are partly based on plants.

1 Source: Global plastic waste set to almost triple by 2060, says OECD

https://www.oecd.org/environment/global-plastic-waste-set-to-almost-triple-by-2060.htm

2 Source: Plastic pollution is growing relentlessly as waste management and recycling fall short, says OECD

https://www.oecd.org/environment/plastic-pollution-is-growing-relentlessly-as-waste-management-and-recycling-fall-short.htm

3 Source: Recycling and the future of the plastics industry | McKinsey

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/chemicals/our-insights/how-plastics-waste-recycling-could-transform-the-chemical-industry

4 Source: The End-of-Life of Flexible Polyurethane Foam From Mattresses and Furniture - Europur

https://europur.org/the-end-of-life-of-flexible-polyurethane-foam-from-mattresses-and-furniture/

Covestro showcases monomaterial concept in autonomous SUE People Mover

UE | STUDIOS has unveiled the fully autonomous electric minibus “Self-driving Urban E-Shuttle” (SUE), placing strong emphasis on sustainable material design. Developed within a project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and the European Union, the vehicle will begin public road testing this year. At the core of the concept is the consistent use of recyclable monomaterials to improve circularity at end of life.

Covestro and Heraeus Precious Metals collaborate to enable safer, more sustainable antimicrobial textile coatings

Laboratory tests reveal that AGXX antimicrobial surface technology from Heraeus Precious Metals is fully compatible with Impranil® PU dispersions which are part of the waterborne INSQIN® textile coating technology from Covestro, paving the way for more sustainable antimicrobial textile coatings. This discovery comes at a key moment for the textile coatings industry. As the sharing economy continues to grow, more people are coming into regular contact with high-use surfaces, creating ideal conditions for bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms to thrive.

Covestro celebrates decade of innovation and sustainable growth

Covestro celebrates its 10-year anniversary today. Since its carve-out from Bayer in 2015, the company has developed into a global leader in high-performance polymer materials and a pioneer in circular economy solutions. With a strong focus on innovation and sustainability, Covestro’s materials are now embedded in countless applications worldwide – from mobility and construction to electronics, healthcare, and consumer goods.

Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 to showcase innovations – Call for abstracts

The call for abstracts is now open for the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) 2026, taking place on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany, and online. Europe’s leading platform for advanced recycling brings together hands-on solutions and cutting-edge research on recycling technologies for various waste streams like plastics, polymers, textiles or automotive, highlighting progress towards a circular renewable carbon economy.

Europe needs tipping point to scale textile-to-textile recycling, BCG and ReHubs say

A new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and ReHubs, titled “Advancing Textile Circularity – Europe’s textile waste challenge: Scaling Textile-to-Textile requires enabling mechanisms”, highlights the urgent need for systemic action to tackle Europe’s growing textile waste and scale a circular textile economy.

LineONE – Smart performance, smart investment at Techtextil 2026

At Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt (April 21–24, Hall 12, Booth C79), AUTEFA Solutions will present its LineONE concepts for cost-efficient nonwoven production. As a full-line supplier for nonwoven production lines, AUTEFA Solutions covers the entire process chain – from fibre opening through to web bonding. With its LineONE line concepts, the company combines proven technologies into well-balanced, cost-efficient turnkey solutions. These concepts are designed for capacity expansions, modernisation projects and new production lines, offering robust design and high flexibility for applications such as filtration, geotextiles and automotive.

EU and Australia strengthen relations with Security and Defence Partnership and Trade Agreement

The EU and Australia have today announced the adoption of a groundbreaking Security and Defence Partnership. They have also concluded negotiations for an ambitious and balanced free trade agreement (FTA) and agreed to launch formal negotiations for the association of Australia to Horizon Europe, the world's largest funding programme for research and innovation. With these steps, the EU and Australia are delivering mutually beneficial outcomes and further reinforcing their already close relations in a time of geopolitical uncertainty.

DuPont introduces Tyvek® APX™ 400 protective coverall, setting a new benchmark for extreme breathability

DuPont (NYSE:DD) announced the launch of the Tyvek® APX™ 400 protective coverall, the first in a new generation of extremely breathable disposable chemical protection garments. Manufactured using DuPont™ Tyvek® APX™ groundbreaking fabric, the new garment combines 360° protection and durability with extreme breathability, taking worker comfort and safety to a whole new level.