- BASF is developing a wet chemical recycling process for flexible polyurethane in used mattresses.
- Initial small-scale trials have shown promising results in recovering original polyols.
- The first pilot quantities of recycled mattress foams are expected this year.
- NEVEON is launching a mattress take-back pilot in Berlin in mid-February.
Project Overview
BASF and foam specialist NEVEON are collaborating to enhance mattress recycling, aiming to establish a closed-loop system. Currently, most discarded mattresses are either thermally recycled or landfilled. The goal is to reintegrate mattress foams into the product lifecycle. This year, the companies plan to produce the first pilot quantities of recycled mattress foams from collected used mattresses, with plans to scale up in subsequent years.
Recycling Process
BASF is developing a wet chemical recycling process specifically for flexible polyurethane used in mattresses. Initial small-scale trials have been promising, successfully recovering original polyols from used mattress foams. These recovered polyols can then be used to produce high-quality flexible foam blocks, comparable to those made from conventional fossil raw materials. This process enables the production of new, high-quality mattresses from recycled polyurethane.
Value Chain Collaboration
Dr. Sven Crone from BASF emphasizes the importance of cooperation across all stages of the value chain to achieve effective mattress recycling. NEVEON CEO Oliver Bruns highlights the industry's need to transition to a circular economy, where end-of-life products are seen as valuable raw materials for new products. Both companies aim to build a partner network to close the recycling loop step by step.
Mattress Take-Back Pilot
As part of the initiative, NEVEON is launching REMATTRESS, a mattress take-back pilot in Berlin starting mid-February. This pilot will expand to other states in Germany over the coming months. Berlin residents can book mattress collection through the online platform www.remattress.de. Collected mattresses will be professionally dismantled and prepared for reprocessing, contributing to the circular economy by providing recycled materials for new foam products.
