From Waste to Raw Material: The Value and Trends of PU Recycling

We are a polyurethane equipment manufacturer with 30 years of experience in the polyurethane industry. Our equipment is widely used in various sectors. However, we are also concerned about the disposal of scrap materials and finished product waste during production, which has attracted the attention of many customers.

Can polyurethane be recycled?

Polyurethane can be recycled, generally through three methods: physical, chemical, and energy-based. Physical methods regenerate polyurethane through crushing and recompacting ; chemical methods decompose polyurethane to recover raw materials; and energy-based methods recover heat energy through incineration .

Physical recycling method : crush waste polyurethane into granules or powder, then compact it with glue , or use it as a filler.

Advantages: Simple technology, low cost.
Disadvantages: The recycled products have poor performance and limited applicability.

Chemical recycling : The process involves degrading the material through chemical reactions to produce new polyurethane products.

Recycling methods	Process Description	Scope of application	Features
alcoholysis	using polyols to obtain recycled polyols.	hard foam, soft foam	High-quality recycled materials can be re-foamed.
pyrolysis	High-temperature decomposition of polyurethane produces oil, gas, and carbon slag.	Waste PU products	High investment, but can achieve deep resource utilization.
Blending method	Production of recycled and virgin materials	Various PU products	Controllable performance and wide application

Advantages: High quality , high recycling value, and good performance of recycled polyurethane.
Disadvantages: The technology is complex and requires pre-sorting; otherwise, the generated products will still be waste .

Energy recovery method : Direct incineration to recover the heat energy generated.

Advantages: It can process waste.
Disadvantages: It may cause secondary pollution, so it is rarely used nowadays.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of recycled polyurethane?

Advantages of recycled polyurethane

Reduce raw material costs

The cost is only 50% to 70% of that of virgin materials.
In the mid-range fields of flexible foam, rigid foam, sound insulation materials, floor mats, and packaging foam, the performance fully meets the requirements.
It is especially suitable for use in foam product factories, shoe insole factories, and insulation board factories.

Reduce waste and improve utilization.

Waste, scraps, and rework materials generated during the production process can all be reused.
Waste materials are recycled on-site and reused on the same day.

Strong equipment compatibility

mixed with virgin material for use.
The recycled polyols obtained from chemical recovery can be compatible with standard formulations in proportion.
No large-scale modifications to the production line are required; only the recycling and metering processes need to be added.

Quick return on investment

Taking a medium-sized foam factory as an example, it produces about 300 tons of waste material per year. If a recycling system is used, it can save about 800,000 to 1.2 million yuan in raw material costs every year.
The payback period for a recycling system is typically 8 to 12 months.

Disadvantages of recycled polyurethane

Recycled polyurethane has slightly lower resilience.
Impurities cause color differences and affect the appearance.
Moisture content, particle size, and ratio must be precisely controlled, otherwise the foaming stability will be affected.
Not suitable for high-performance products such as car interiors, memory foam pillows, and high-elasticity shoe soles.

What are the applications of recycled polyurethane?

Polyurethane waste recycling generally falls into two main categories: physical recycling and chemical recycling . The two methods have different application areas:

Physical Recycling Applications

Carpet Underlay(Rebond Foam)：Flexible foam is crushed, mixed with adhesive, and then pressed into blocks. It is widely used as a carpet underlayment and sports flooring underlayment. The finished product has good resilience, low cost, and sound absorption and vibration damping properties.

Sound and heat insulation materials：Rigid foam powder mixed with adhesives can be made into sound insulation boards and wall filling materials. The finished products have good thermal insulation properties and adjustable flame retardancy, and are widely used in the construction industry .

Packaging Materials：Recycled foam or granules can be made into shockproof packaging, corner protectors, and cushioning blocks. Commonly used in the packaging of furniture, home appliances, and instruments.

Sports mats, floor mats, yoga mats：Made by mixing and pressing recycled soft foam with glue, they have good elasticity and softness. They are commonly used in the sporting goods and fitness equipment industries.

Insoles and filling materials：Recycled powder is blended with virgin materials and foamed for use in insoles, cushions, and sofa bottom layers. This can reduce costs.

Chemical Recycling Applications

Coatings and Adhesives：Recycled polyols can modify polyurethane resins for use in waterproof coatings and PU adhesives. They exhibit good adhesion and flexibility.

Elastomers and Castables：Chemical recyclables can be used to manufacture recycled elastomers, polyurethane tires, and cushioning pads. Performance is moderate, suitable for industrial, non-high-end applications.

Production of Recycled Polyols：Recycled polyols obtained after alcoholysis can be used in the production of rigid foams (insulation boards, cold storage panels) , flexible foams (furniture cushions, car seat cushions) , and elastomers (sealing strips, shoe soles) .

Typical Application Classification Table

Application areas	Regeneration form	process	Features
Carpet mats, sports mats	Recycled foam	Mechanical pressing	Low cost and good sound absorption
Packaging materials	Regenerated Particles	Crushing and pressing	Shockproof and dropproof
Building insulation layer	Regenerated rigid foam	Crushing, filling, or re-foaming	Insulation and fireproof
Furniture cushions	Recycled foam blending	Blending and foaming	Moderate elasticity, saving raw materials
Regenerated polyols	Liquid raw materials	alcoholysis, ammonolysis	It can be used to re-prepare PU foam
Paints and adhesives	Modified polyether	Alcohololysis and Resynthesis	Good adhesion
Energy fuel	pyrolysis oil, syngas	Thermal pyrolysis	Reuse of highly polluting materials

Comprehensive recommendations for manufacturers

Application directions	Recommended Regeneration Method	Virgin material replacement ratio	Remark
Insulation panels, cold storage panels	alcoholysis	20–40%	Rigid foam systems have good compatibility
Floor mats, sound insulation materials	Physical recycling method	50–100%	Low cost preferred
Packaging foam	Blending method	30–60%	Low appearance requirements
Insoles, sports flooring	Blending method + auxiliaries	10–30%	Performance controllable
Sales of recycled polyols	alcoholysis	–	Available for external supply

Development Prospects of Recycled Polyurethane

Key Market Prospect Areas

Building Energy Efficiency and Insulation Materials : Recycled rigid polyurethane foam can be used in insulation boards, spray coatings, cold storage panels, etc. The average annual growth rate is projected to reach 8-10% over the next 5 years.
Furniture and Soft Foam Industry

Waste sofa cushions and mattress foam can be recycled to produce floor mats and filling foam. In Europe and Japan, recycling rates have exceeded 30%.

Automotive and Transportation Sector

Polyurethane (PU) materials are widely used in automotive seat foam, sound insulation cotton, and other applications. Recycled foam or recycled polyols can be used in non-structural components such as interior trim and carpet padding.

Footwear materials and sporting goods

Recycled polyurethane powder is blended with virgin materials to make shoe soles and insoles, which is low-cost and in line with the trend of environmental protection (brands such as Adidas and Nike have begun to use recycled PU materials).

Economic and Investment Prospects

index	Current stage	Future Trends
Raw material cost savings	20–40%	Continuous stability
Construction cost of recycling system	Medium (1 million–3 million RMB)	The investment payback period is approximately 8–12 months.
Market acceptance	Medium to low	Rapid growth (especially in the European and American markets)
Policy support	Increasingly	It is expected to be included in the renewable resources subsidy system.

For polyurethane manufacturers, choosing recycled polyurethane is not only an environmentally friendly option, but also a new source of profit growth.

Summarize

Through various recycling methods, including physical and chemical processes, waste polyurethane can be applied to multiple fields such as floor mats, insulation boards, shoe insoles, and coatings, maximizing resource recycling. Recycled polyurethane not only reduces production costs and waste emissions but also holds the potential to become a new profit growth point for polyurethane manufacturers.

Post time: Nov-10-2025