Promoting Recycling of High-Performance Insulators in Europe
Jülich, 12 October 2021 – Closing the material cycle for rigid polyurethane (PU) foams is the ambitious goal of the new pan-European project CIRCULAR FOAM, in which Forschungszentrum Jülich’s Systems Analysis and Technology Evaluation subinstitute (IEK-STE) is participating. The EU-funded lighthouse project brings together a total of 22 partners from 9 countries in the fields of industry, science, and society. Over the next four years, they aim to develop a fully circular value chain for raw materials for rigid PU foams, which are used as an insulation material in refrigerators and construction. If the system is introduced across Europe, it could help to save 1 million tonnes of waste, 2.9 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, and € 150 million in incineration costs each year from 2040. The project is being coordinated by polymer manufacturer Covestro.