Evonik, Toyotsu Chemiplas Corp. and Sanyo Chemical Industries are partnering to develop a polyurethane foam recycling model in Japan that would recover polyols and amines for use in new polyurethane products.

The initiative will evaluate a process for collecting post-consumer foam and post-industrial scrap, chemically recycling the material and reusing the recovered raw materials in new products.

Toyotsu Chemiplas will coordinate the project and contribute collection and logistics expertise. Sanyo Chemical will provide polyol development and process technology expertise, while Evonik will contribute its hydrolysis-based chemical recycling process.

Evonik said the process is designed to produce high-purity recycled polyols with consistent quality. The company reported that manufacturers have already produced new polyurethane foam using 100% recycled polyol derived from the process. Evonik also said the technology can reduce the carbon footprint compared with virgin materials, although the planned Japanese value chain will require further life cycle assessment.

The partners will jointly evaluate the process from collection and sorting through recycling and new foam production, including quality assessments. Their objective is to determine the feasibility of commercializing a scalable recycling model in Japan.

The initiative follows recent uncertainty over Evonik’s ownership. In September, BASF confirmed exploratory discussions with Evonik and its largest shareholder, the RAG Foundation, about a potential acquisition. Evonik said the nonbinding approach concerned a possible voluntary public takeover offer, but no talks were taking place at the time. The outcome of the discussions remains uncertain.