Evonik is moving forward with a technology at its Hanau site that could fundamentally change how polyurethane (PU) foam waste is handled—bringing discarded materials like mattresses, car seats, and furniture back into the production cycle.
During a visit to the Wolfgang Industrial Park, Hessian Minister for Economic Affairs, Energy, Transport, Housing and Rural Areas Kaweh Mansoori presented a grant to support the further development of the project, highlighting the state’s backing for industrial-scale recycling innovation.
In Germany alone, thousands of tons of PU foam are discarded each year. Evonik aims to close that loop using a newly developed hydrolysis process that breaks the foam down into its original chemical building blocks. Those recovered materials can then be reused to produce high-quality products.
What has already proven successful in the lab is now running in a continuously operating pilot plant in Hanau. The company’s next objective is clear: scale the process industrially, reduce reliance on fossil raw materials, cut CO₂ emissions, and advance a functioning circular economy.
Plans are also underway for a dedicated technology center at the Wolfgang Industrial Park focused on chemical plastics recycling. The center will expand research into pretreatment methods such as shredding, pelletizing and grinding, as well as purification processes including filtration and centrifugation, alongside work on additional waste streams.
“Especially in the current economic climate of the chemical industry, it is crucial to promote targeted innovation,” says Thomas Wessel, Chief Human Resources Officer and Labor Director of Evonik. "The support from the state of Hesse comes at the right time and helps us to bring sustainable technologies into industrial application more quickly. We are very grateful for this!”
Minister of Economic Affairs Kaweh Mansoori explains: “The recycling of PU foam is an excellent example of how industrial value creation and climate protection can go hand in hand. Hesse specifically supports projects that transfer innovation from research into practice and strengthen the industrial location.”
The initiative is also seen as strategically important for the Wolfgang Industrial Park itself.
Kerstin Oberhaus, Site Manager Hanau, says: “With the PU foam recycling process, we are developing a concrete solution here that allows the main components of polyurethane foam to be recycled to virgin material quality,” adding: “At the same time, we are further expanding our role as an innovation, technology, and scaling hub.”
