Jul 19, 2022

Sustainability & Social Engagement

Combined power for the chemical recycling of mixed EoL-PUR materials

The cozy mattress, the comfortable sofa, the protective packaging or the ultra-light automotive lining: foams accompany us every day and make our lives comfortable and safe. But what happens to the products at the end of their life cycle? We at NEVEON are breaking new ground with a special continuous extrusion process.

At NEVEON, we produce polyurethane (PUR) flexible, composite and molded foams for a wide range of applications, from the comfort segment through the transportation sector to a limitless variety of specialty applications. In addition to sustainable product design and the reduction of emissions, we focus on circular economy. Until now, many PUR foam products have been thermally recycled at the end of their life cycle or, in the worst case, landfilled. Our technical team has been working on alternative recycling technologies for PUR foams for some time, with the aim of returning them to the materials loop.

Previous recycling processes still insufficient

According to a study by Labyrinth Research and Markets Ltd., around 40 million mattresses reach the end of their lives in the EU every year. Stacked on top of each other, this would result in a mattress pile 904 times as high as Mount Everest. When mattresses, or other PUR products such as upholstered furniture or automotive linings, have reached the end of their useful life, mixed waste is usually produced from PUR flexible foams, textiles and other materials. Current processes for recycling PUR foams, such as glycolysis or acidolysis, can only be used for a part of the waste, since a complex material separation of the end-of-life products into their individual components is necessary in order to keep the recyclable materials recovered in the process within predefined specification limits.

"Optimal end-of-life recycling of polyurethanes will require not one, but multiple solution paths. Especially for composite materials and heavily worn mattress and furniture waste, robust and cost-effective processes are needed that represent a significant improvement over thermal recycling. With our project work, we are making a significant contribution to the transition to a sustainable economy in which high-performance materials have a long service life and can be recycled at the end of their life cycle," Roland Krämer, Director Research & Development at NEVEON, is convinced.

Optimal end-of-life recycling of polyurethanes will require not one, but multiple solution paths.

Roland Krämer, Director Research & Development

Mar 22, 2024

Sustainability & Social Engagement

Cooperation for Clean Water: Celebrating World Water Day

Water is indeed a fundamental human right, and this sentiment forms the cornerstone of our ongoing collaboration with Viva con Agua Österreich, Welthungerhilfe, and the Austrian Development Agency. Our partnership has led to remarkable achievements, particularly in the Dedza district of central Malawi. As a responsible company, we also pursue the goal of making people’s lives better beyond our core business. This is precisely why we support this initiative.

Feb 20, 2024

Sustainability & Social Engagement

NEVEON, MATR & Betten Eberharter launch Matratzenallianz with Climate Lab

In Austria, over one million used mattresses are disposed of every year. The newly formed alliance aims to close the mattress cycle in order to save up to 150,000 tons of CO2 annually.

Jul 31, 2023

Sustainability & Social Engagement

A second life for non-sortable pur waste

The comfortable mattress, the filter foam or the sustainable boiler insulation: all these products offer us added value every day and make life more comfortable and safer. The foam specialist NEVEON focuses on the topic of circular economy and researches different recycling processes.

Jun 1, 2023

Sustainability & Social Engagement

NEVEON and Viva con Agua: successful project completion

We are very pleased to announce the successful completion of our project "Malawi WASH in Schools and Communities" in partnership with Viva con Agua in Malawi. The strong project results are an expression of our shared commitment, responsibility, and values. And we are committed to continuing our efforts beyond the scope of this project.

Sep 28, 2022

Sustainability & Social Engagement

Hello Again! Mattresses and their second life

On average, we spend a third of our lives in bed. A fact, that probably makes the mattress the furnishing item with which we have the most contact. However, after ten years at the latest, mattresses are worn out and have reached the end of their life. But what happens to old mattresses? What recycling options are there? What are the most sustainable alternatives for the environment? We provide the exciting answers!

Aug 8, 2022

Sustainability & Social Engagement

NEVEON and Viva con Agua for safe drinking water supply in Malawi

Since 2021, NEVEON and Viva con Agua Austria have been jointly implementing the MALAWI WINS & CO project. The goal is to secure the drinking water supply for 22,000 people in rural Malawi. In May 2022, representatives of Viva con Agua visited selected schools and villages in the project area and then shared their report with us.