Recycling PU foam in pressurised containers
Adhesives and sealants for sustainable development: Recycling
Recycling PU foam in pressurised containers: The recycling of all residual materials - packaging and chemicals - of used PU foam cans achieved by industry in Germany
Posted 03 Nov 2020
- PU foam pressurised containers are used for filling gaps and to insulate and install window and door frames to make buildings airtight. In Germany, about 25 million cans of PU foam are consumed per year.
- As the cans are hazardous waste, separate collection and disposal after use is mandatory.
- OCF producers have invested in a recycling company which recycles the metals of the packaging material, the reactive residual polyurethane prepolymer and the propellant. In total, more than 95% of the components are recycled and 80% are used again in their respective value chains.
- An Ecological Balance Sheet shows the advantages from an ecological viewpoint of the recycling method compared to other recycling methods (such as recycling of the packaging material only and thermal recycling of the remaining contents).
More details are available from the PDR website: www.pdr.de
