Setting standards

Alternative raw material bases

A sustainable and climate-neutral circular economy is not just a vision; it already presents a multitude of opportunities for action. One example is mass balancing, which allows the proportion of alternative raw materials in production to be gradually increased and allocated to selected products. By applying this principle to the entire value chain and certifying it according to the globally recognized ISCC PLUS standard, the proportion of renewable raw materials increases and products become more sustainable. By pursuing this approach, Covestro’s aim is to gradually switch its global production to certified mass-balanced products and thus significantly expand its alternative raw material base.

We are therefore also providing transparency for our customers while helping them to become more sustainable. Another advantage is that the alternative raw materials can be used in existing production processes without any major changeovers and without compromising on product quality.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

Customers further along the value chain can benefit from the use of mass-balanced raw materials and reduce their own carbon footprint. One example is H.B. Fuller, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of industrial adhesives, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. As part of a supply agreement with Covestro, it receives ISCC PLUS-certified, mass-balanced adhesive raw materials used primarily in the automotive, wood, composites and textile industries. “The ability to source certified renewable feedstock in large quantities based on the mass-balanced approach allows us to use molecules that bring a significant reduction in our carbon footprint without compromising the performance of PU adhesives,” says Iñaki Sigler, Global Product Manager for Woodworking and Composites at H.B. Fuller. “This is an investment in a future that we are all a part of.” Thus, with our mass-balanced approach, we are already setting standards and accelerating the path towards a circular economy.

Innovative recycling methods

Flexible polyurethane foam: a versatile material that offers comfort in everyday life – for example in car seats, shoe soles and mattresses. Covestro produces main components of the foam, and they are becoming more and more popular. For the TDI component alone, the company expects global demand growth to increase to 6 percent per year through 2025. That is a lot of mattresses!

REUSING MATTRESSES

Polyurethane has one disadvantage, however: it cannot be recycled very well with the established mechanical recycling processes. But Covestro is working intensively to change things in this regard. We have developed a pioneering process to chemically recycle the soft foam from used mattresses. The material is broken down into molecules, which are then reassembled into new foam precursors. “In contrast to other approaches, our process targets both components, the TDI precursor TDA and polyol,” says project manager Karin Clauberg. Since the beginning of 2021, Covestro has operated a pilot plant at its Leverkusen (Germany) site to confirm the positive laboratory results.

Replacing fossil fuels with innovative Covestro technology

Foam mattresses have been difficult to recycle to date. However, with an innovative method from Covestro, the material can be chemically decomposed and new foam components can be produced from the molecules.

Digitalizing chemistry

The circular economy requires a restructuring of the entire economy. This transformation can only succeed if we also take full advantage of the opportunities offered by digitalization. Therefore, in chemical research, we are relying on enormous computing power and access to external high-performance computers as well as quantum computing. With this, we want to significantly accelerate development efforts. Our expertise in chemistry along with artificial intelligence, machine learning and computing power will clearly push the boundaries.

Digitalizing our core business

Beyond this, we pay special attention to the digitalization of our core business. We continuously leverage efficiencies in basically all areas of the company and invest in collaboration with our customers. To this end, we use all available means of digitalization to make the usage of our products by our customers more efficient and effective, but at the same time more convenient. It has recently become possible, for example, to digitally track deliveries of our products by sea.

None of this can be done on our own, which is why we successfully build long-term partnerships. For us, it is absolutely clear that digitalization will change the way we work as a chemical company in the future. By seizing our opportunities now and developing our core areas digitally, we will be able to use these technologies to set standards for a sustainable and circular future.