• Innovative development for chemical recycling processes
  

• New product applications designed for recycling
  

• Circular product concept launches with Desmodur®CQ
  

Covestro intends to focus entirely on the Circular Economy. The company is driving the development of innovative and resource-saving processes to make its products recyclable to meet this goal. That is why Covestro intends to offer more material solutions based on sustainability and circularity in the markets in which it is active. Covestro's own technological development is focused on four recycling approaches. In addition to mechanical recycling, which is already used for the high-performance plastic polycarbonate and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), Covestro is developing chemical recycling processes: These include chemolysis, smart pyrolysis and enzymatic recycling. The aim of these processes is to produce recycled plastics in virgin material quality while significantly reducing the environmental footprint compared to the conventional fossil-based production of polymers and polymer raw materials. Covestro applies its core competence in chemistry to process development.

"We see ourselves as the driving force behind the Circular Economy industry that is currently being developed, where the chemical and waste management industries will have to grow closer together in perspective and synergies will have to be created," explains Markus Steilemann, Chairman of the Board of Covestro. "We are moving forward here with vigor for the entire industry: with various recycling approaches, we can systematically recover the different raw materials we need for the production of our plastics. Our goal is to fully circularize materials from end-of-life products to save fossil raw materials and greenhouse gas emissions, while offering recycled high-performance materials in virgin quality." The company plans to invest around one billion Euro in Circular Economy projects by 2030. In Leverkusen, Covestro already operates a pilot plant for the chemical recycling of flexible polyurethane foams.

In addition, Covestro will showcase how circular solutions in the product portfolio can be made even more visible to customers at IFAT in Munich. With the "CQ" concept, in the future Covestro will highlight the alternative raw material base in products if it is at least 25 percent. "CQ" here stands for Circular Intelligence. Among the first "CQ" products is Desmodur®CQ. Polyurethanes based on Desmodur®CQ are deployed, for example, in upholstered furniture, mattresses and thermal insulation. They are used, for example, as coatings for cars or household appliances.

 "In order to take meaningful climate protection measures, we need a change, a paradigm shift, for us, our customers and everyone else in the entire value chain. At the same time, the benefits must be clear in the application of such solutions. The chemical industry must fundamentally change as a central part of the value chain - toward alternative raw materials and renewable energies," says Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer at Covestro. "We have set ambitious targets to make our production fully circular and ultimately independent of fossil resources. In doing so, we are supporting a wide range of industries to reduce the carbon footprint of their own products," Govil said.