We strengthen our commitment to the circular economy of polyurethane

In Repsol, we have been working on projects that support the Circular Economy for some time. Currently, we aim to develop technologies that recycle polyurethane foams so that we can incorporate a percentage of polymer obtained from waste into our polyols, without losing performance in their different applications. An example of this is our participation in the European Polyinspire project on chemical recycling.

For a long time, we have been developing different alternatives to solve the recycling of products manufactured with our materials. We have experience in chemical recycling, framed in our Zero Project, and in the Reciclex Project where it has been possible to materialize the mechanical recycling of polyolefins within our portfolio. And in the future, it could also incorporate recycled polyols from recycled resources.

Currently, the circular economy and the recycling of polyurethane foam are topics of maximum interest for the sector where we face challenges ranging from the development of technologies for the treatment of waste to their collection and classification.

At the last annual conference of Europur (European association of flexible polyurethane foam blocks manufacturers) and Euro-Moulders (European Association of Manufacturers of Moulded Polyurethane Parts for the Automotive Industry) Manuela Borao, Senior Manager of Circular Economy of Chemistry in Repsol, talked about our participation in the European Polyinspire project. At the panel discussion 'Recycling polyurethane foams: what are the prospects?’ she remarked that recycling is already a reality for Repsol’s polyolefins, so this serves as a reference and drives us to the future commercialization of polyols that incorporate a percentage of recycled material.

At Repsol, we continue to promote the circular economy of all our materials, strengthening our firm commitment to society, the environment, our customers and the polyurethane sector.