H&S completes installation of RetourMatras' recycling plant for discarded mattresses in Lelystad, Netherlands
H&S Anlagentechnik GmbH has successfully completed commissioning of an industrial-scale reactor plant for RetourMatras, a Dutch recycling company specialized in dismantling of mattresses and their transformation into circular resources. The newly installed recycling plant uses an advanced depolymerization recycling technology to produce high-quality recycled polyol (Repolyol) from polyurethane foam (PU) from end-of-life mattresses.
Polyol is one of the key building blocks of polyurethane foam, the main cushioning material in mattresses. Its recovery without compromising on its quality enables its reuse as a circular raw material for the production of new PU foam and thus for new mattresses and other upholstered furniture - a significant step to circularity. “The H&S process allows us to chemically recycle different foam from various mattress manufacturers, supporting our ambition to secure that no mattress goes to waste by transforming it into circular resources,” emphasizes Chico van Hemert, Managing Director at RetourMatras. Commissioning took place in May 2023 in Lelystad (NL)allowing the newly built recycling plant to convert PU foam from 200,000 mattresses into repolyols annually using the cutting-edge recycling technology of H&S.
Just recently, RetourMatras also partnered with IKEA Retail to find a circular solution for the end-of-life of their mattresses in line with IKEA's approach to products made from recycled or renewable materials.
In Europe, an estimated 40 million mattresses are disposed every year. Compared to incineration, the recycling of discarded mattresses can help to recover materials for reuse and thus keep them in the loop. To counter the amount of waste and significantly reduce landfill and incineration streams, the European Union is aiming to recycle 65% of municipal waste by 2030. “By converting PU waste from end-of-life mattresses into high-quality recovered polyols suitable for use in new PU products, our innovative recycling technology can make a valuable contribution to achieving this ambitious goal of the EU waste regulation,” explains Mila Skokova, Deputy Managing Director Sales at H&S. "That’s why we are very pleased that more and more companies are interested in the recovery of polyols and therefore are looking for sustainable PU recycling solutions.”
H&S is continuously working on advancing its technologies and equipment for end-of-life PU recycling. The newly installed reactor plant in the Netherlands is not the company’s first industrial-scale PU recycling project. As part of the RENUVA™ mattress recycling program of Dow, the second largest chemical group in the world, the H&S team for example supported Orrion Chemicals Orgaform from France with their sustainable system concept. Besides, one of the biggest Polish PU slabstock foam manufacturers Ikano Industry (previously Dendro Poland) has been using H&S technology since 2013 also recovering valuable polyols from production waste.
About H&S Anlagentechnik GmbH
H&S Anlagentechnik GmbH develops plant and process technologies for the efficient, flexible, production-safe and environmentally compatible storage, metering, mixing and formulation of polyurethanes, as well as for the chemical recycling of PU and PET waste. For 30 years, the plant manufacturer has been combining chemical expertise and technical production and developing individual solutions for customers from various industries. H&S Anlagentechnik GmbH stands for excellently trained engineers and chemists, international experience, modern production facilities and a worldwide network of sales partners.
Categories
Countries
Latest news
LYB to build integrated plastic waste recycling hub in Chemiepark Knapsack, Germany
Chemiepark Knapsack →The hub is planned to combine various advanced sorting and recycling operations, helping to address the plastic waste challenge and grow the circular economy
CARBIOS celebrates the groundbreaking of its PET biorecycling plant, at Longlaville, France
CARBIOS’ first plant is also a world first using revolutionary enzymatic depolymerization technology, marking a major step forward in the transition to a circular economy for plastic and textiles ...
Holcim's Green Vision Takes Root with thyssenkrupp Cutting-Edge “pure oxyfuel” tech: Construction Starts on the Carbon-Neutral Cement Plant in Lägerdorf, Germany
thyssenkrupp supplies innovative “pure oxyfuel” technology, enabling CO2 capture. Capture of around 1.2 million tons of CO2 a year. Commissioning of the new Holcim plant scheduled for 2028
BASF, SABIC, and Linde celebrate the start-up of the world's first large-scale electrically heated steam cracking furnace at Ludwigshafen demoplant, Germany
BASF SE, Ludwigshafen →Demonstration plant with 6 megawatts input of renewable electrical energy to test material behavior and process on an industrial scale. Joint development and construction of electric steam cracking...