This breakthrough innovation simplifies the recycling process, enabling the recovery of a pure polyurethane waste stream for chemical recycling.
In a significant leap toward a circular automotive industry, materials science giant Dow and recycling innovator Gruppo Fiori have announced a breakthrough in their joint venture to recycle polyurethane (PU) waste from end-of-life vehicles. This groundbreaking process, which eliminates the need for complex and costly vehicle disassembly, is poised to revolutionize the recycling landscape and enable the large-scale reuse of polyurethane in mobility applications.
Polyurethane foam is a ubiquitous material in modern vehicles, prized for its role in enhancing comfort, safety, and fuel efficiency. A typical car contains approximately 28 kg of PU, with 10-15 kg concentrated in seats alone. Traditionally, recycling these components has been a logistical and economic challenge, as it required labor-intensive disassembly. The new process developed by Dow and Gruppo Fiori sidesteps this obstacle, creating a simplified pathway to a high-purity PU waste stream. This purity is critical for effective depolymerization, a form of chemical recycling that breaks down the material into its original building blocks.
The collaboration, which stems from a memorandum of understanding signed in 2024, has moved rapidly from concept to a pilot-ready process. It combines Gruppo Fiori's established expertise in vehicle recycling and material sorting with Dow's deep knowledge of materials science. The result is an integrated solution that not only keeps valuable polyurethane foam out of landfills but also reintroduces it into the supply chain as a viable raw material.
Dr. Esther Quintanilla, global MobilityScience™ marketing director at Dow Polyurethanes, highlighted the collaborative spirit driving the project. “Collaboration is essential to building a closed-loop supply chain for the automotive industry,” she said. “By partnering with Gruppo Fiori, we aim to help OEMs and component manufacturers meet their sustainability goals and regulatory requirements for recycled content without sacrificing the performance benefits of polyurethanes.” This initiative aligns perfectly with Dow’s Renuva™ portfolio, a suite of recycled materials designed to accelerate the transformation of waste into new raw materials.
Mauro Grotto, president of Italmetalli, a Gruppo Fiori company, echoed this sentiment. “By augmenting our expertise in recovering and sorting materials from end-of-life vehicles with Dow’s depolymerization capabilities, we can restore the value of waste and share that value with the industry.” The successful technical breakthroughs achieved in such a short timeframe demonstrate the effectiveness of their "test-and-learn" approach and provide significant positive momentum for future industrial implementation.
This innovation is particularly timely, as the automotive industry faces increasing pressure from both consumers and regulators to enhance sustainability.
