#Textile chemistry

2022-02-10

Covestro receives ISCC Plus certification for its Leverkusen and Dormagen sites

Covestro has now received the internationally recognized ISCC Plus mass balance certification for its Leverkusen and Dormagen sites. Together with the Krefeld-Uerdingen site, which was already certified a year ago, the company can now supply its customers with large product volumes from renewably attributed raw materials from all three Lower Rhine sites in Germany.

Conversion of production to renewable attributed raw materials makes progress

These are selected polycarbonates, components for polyurethane (PU) rigid and flexible foams, PU coating and adhesive raw materials, thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) and specialty films. They are characterized by equally good quality and properties as their fossil-based counterparts.

Lower Rhine plants offer certified mass-balanced products

Drop-in solution for customers with constant product quality

"I am very pleased that we can now offer our customers even more certified mass-balanced products and thus help them even better to achieve their sustainability goals and drive the transition to a circular economy," says Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer of Covestro. "In doing so, we are also supporting the use of alternative raw materials and reducing CO2 emissions along the value chains."

At its ISCC Plus certified site in Leverkusen, Covestro produces polyurethane coating and adhesive raw materials. © Covestro

Dr. Klaus Schäfer, Chief Technology Officer at Covestro, adds, "The raw materials we use for these products meet the high sustainability requirements of the ISCC Plus standard all the way back through the supply chain. That's why we want to make greater use of alternative raw materials such as these renewably attributed precursors in our production. In addition to the three German sites, also our plants in Antwerp and Shanghai are already ISCC Plus certified, with more sites to follow."

In the mass balance approach, bio-based or recycled raw materials – in this case reprocessed residual materials – are fed in at an early stage of raw material extraction and mathematically attributed to the finished products. This saves fossil raw materials and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, while the quality of the mass-balanced products remains the same compared to purely fossil-based ones. Manufacturers can continue to use their proven formulations, equipment and processes.

Covestro also received the ISCC Plus certification for its Dormagen site, where polyurethane raw materials for foams, coatings and adhesives are manufactured, as well as thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs). © Covestro

ISCC ("International Sustainability and Carbon Certification") is an internationally recognized system for sustainability certification of biomass and bioenergy, among others. The standard covers all stages of the value chain and is widely used worldwide. ISCC Plus includes further certification options for technical-chemical applications, among others, including plastics from biomass.

Mass-balanced raw materials for the production of flexible polyurethane foam for mattresses will be supplied from Dormagen in the future, among other items. © Covestro

Covestro to exhibit solutions for a more sustainable and productive textile industry at Techtextil 2026

Covestro will present a broad portfolio of material innovations for textile coatings, adhesive films and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) at Techtextil 2026 (Hall 11.0, Booth C79). The exhibits will demonstrate how advanced solutions can enhance durability, recyclability and manufacturing efficiency across applications such as automotive, infrastructure, protective apparel and sportswear. A particular focus will be on more sustainable coating technologies, including antimicrobial systems based on INSQIN® in combination with AGXX from Heraeus Precious Metals, as well as the integration of Pontacol® thermoplastic adhesive films into Covestro’s offering.

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.

Archroma expands denim possibilities at Kingpins Amsterdam

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals, will present a portfolio of six sustainable denim innovations at Kingpins Amsterdam from April 15-16, 2026. Under the theme “Creating Possibilities in Denim”, the showcase reflects Archroma’s commitment to giving brands and mills solutions that are as commercially compelling as they are environmentally responsible.

A flagship for chemical production: BASF inaugurates world-scale Verbund site in China

BASF today (March 26, 2026) celebrated the official inauguration of its newly built, world-scale Verbund site in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province in southern China. Covering an area of around four square kilometers, it is more than a major BASF project in the chemical growth market of China. “Zhanjiang shows what the future of chemistry looks like: efficient, digital and sustainable by design. The site showcases a smart integrated Verbund structure on an industrial scale,” said Dr. Markus Kamieth, CEO of BASF, at the ceremony attended by representatives from government, customers, business partners and employees.

New study shows low environmental impact by Cotton made in Africa Organic Cotton from Tanzania

Today, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is announcing the results of a comprehensive life-cycle analysis (LCA) for cotton produced in Tanzania under the Cotton made in Africa Organic (CmiA Organic) standard. The study emphasises the small ecological footprint of CmiA Organic verified cotton. This can largely be traced back to the absence of synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilisers, and artificial irrigation. Consequently, CmiA Organic cotton can help the textile industry meet regulatory requirements as well as science-based targets. The results also show that the consequences of climate change threaten the livelihoods of these cotton farmers, even though the type of agriculture they practise barely contributes to climate change.

PERFORMANCE DAYS proves its relevance as the industry’s key meeting point

Held on March 18–19, 2026, PERFORMANCE DAYS once again confirmed its position as a leading international platform for functional textiles. A total of 3.366 trade visitors and around 560 exhibitors gathered in Munich, with the event already kicking off successfully on DAY 0, which received highly positive feedback for its interactive format. Despite challenging conditions caused by the public transport strike in Munich, the event saw strong attendance and a consistently high level of activity across both exhibition days.