Covestro opens Leverkusen pilot plant for chemical recycling of Vulkollan

Pilot plant and project

Covestro has opened a new pilot plant at its Leverkusen site for the chemical recycling of high‑performance elastomers, notably Vulkollan®. The double‑digit million‑euro project moves the technology from laboratory development into pilot operation and is described as one of the first installations of its kind worldwide for this material class.

Process and performance

The chemical recycling process breaks selected end‑of‑life Vulkollan® down into purified building blocks for reuse, enabling more than 90% of the material by mass to be recycled and reducing the carbon footprint by up to two thirds compared with fossil‑based virgin material.

From laboratory to technical validation

The pilot plant allows Covestro to test different waste streams, refine the process and generate the data needed for future industrial scale‑up. Company leadership frames the facility as a key step in the pre‑industrialisation journey to demonstrate technical feasibility and prepare for commercial application.

Building circular value chains

Covestro is collaborating with customers, recyclers, waste collectors and logistics providers to develop collection and return systems required for closed‑loop solutions. The company also plans to use the pilot plant to explore circular approaches for selected specialty cast elastomers and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU).