Covestro India Teams Up with CSIR-NCL to Innovate Polyurethane Recycling

Covestro (India) Private Limited and the CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in a major step of adapting circular economy principles to curb the increasing problem of polyurethane waste in India. The collaborative effort is part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program launched by Covestro and aims at creating industrial-scale chemical recycling solutions that resolve the problem of hard-to-recycle polyurethanes.

The polyurethane materials have gained importance in many industries such as automotive, furniture, electronics, and construction. Regardless, they are challenging to get rid of at the end of their lives because of their cross-linked structures. A majority of this plastic waste is disposed of in landfills. The Covestro and NCL collaboration aims to invent sustainable solutions in upcycling by keeping the value of material without any adverse effect on the environment.

Avinash Bagdi, Director and Head of Sales at Covestro (India), said, "This collaboration highlights our commitment to sustainable innovation. It aligns with Covestro's vision of achieving full circularity by developing smart ways to reuse polyurethane, rather than discard it. We’re actively working to build a future where waste becomes a resource."

Dr. Ashish Lele, Director of NCL, added, "We're thrilled to partner with Covestro on this important initiative. Our research into both traditional and electrochemical upcycling techniques is designed to address the limitations of today’s recycling technologies."

The alliance brings together the industrial experience of Covestro and research competency of NCL to invention of the next generation recycling technologies. This project will become a standard of dealing with polyurethane waste in India and help the country to overcome the shift towards a greener plastic economy.