Foam from Old Mattresses and Sponges Can Now Be Safely Recycled Without Toxic Chemicals

Published on Quantum Server Networks

Recycling polyurethane foam safely without toxic chemicals

Every year, millions of tons of polyurethane foam from mattresses, furniture, and household sponges end up in landfills or incinerators, adding to the global waste crisis. Recycling this material has long been a challenge because it required highly toxic substances, such as phosgene, to break the foam into reusable components. Now, researchers from the University of Twente in the Netherlands have developed a safer, more sustainable method that could revolutionize plastic recycling and contribute significantly to a circular economy.

A Breakthrough in Polyurethane Recycling

Polyurethane (PUR) is ubiquitous in our daily lives, forming the backbone of products ranging from mattresses and sofas to sports insoles and medical devices. Traditionally, once used, most of this foam became waste with little chance of being reused. Previous recycling efforts either salvaged only limited portions or relied on toxic chemicals unsuitable for large-scale adoption.

The Twente team’s innovation uses dialkyl carbonates, an environmentally friendly compound, to disassemble polyurethane into its original building blocks. This allows both the “soft” and “hard” components of the foam to be recovered. Crucially, the method has been shown to work on real-world foams, not just artificially purified lab samples. This makes it highly promising for industrial-scale applications.

From Waste to New Foam Products

The recovered materials can be used to produce fresh polyurethane foam, making the process truly circular. Instead of discarding old mattresses, furniture, or sponges, industries could repurpose them into high-quality raw materials for new products. This not only reduces the environmental footprint but also lowers dependence on virgin fossil-based feedstocks.

“We show that you can recover both the soft part and the hard part of the foam,” said researcher Jean-Paul Lange. “This makes it possible for the first time to make PUR truly circular.”

Implications for the Circular Economy

This breakthrough aligns with global initiatives to promote sustainable materials and reduce plastic waste. In the European Union alone, millions of discarded mattresses create a disposal challenge each year. With the new method, such waste streams could become valuable resources, supporting the shift toward circular material flows.

Beyond consumer products, polyurethane recycling could have important applications in healthcare, sportswear, and even construction, where lightweight, durable foams are widely used. By eliminating toxic chemicals from the process, industries can scale recycling without compromising worker safety or environmental health.

What Comes Next

The researchers are now focused on further developing and scaling up the technique for industrial-scale adoption. If successful, this process could set a precedent for sustainable recycling of other complex polymers that are currently non-recyclable or require hazardous methods.

As project leader Jurriaan Huskens emphasized, “The great thing is that this process is not only safer, but also offers a real solution for the millions of tons of foam that are thrown away worldwide.”

Source: Original article published by Phys.org: Foam from old mattresses and sponges can now be safely recycled without toxic chemicals . Based on research published in Green Chemistry (2025). DOI: 10.1039/d5gc02533h

*This blog article was prepared with the assistance of AI technologies.*

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#PolyurethaneRecycling #CircularEconomy #SustainablePlastics #MaterialsScience #GreenChemistry #FoamRecycling #PlasticWasteSolutions #EnvironmentalInnovation #QuantumServerNetworks

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