Recycling PU waste and rebond - the second career of cutting offcuts

Every foam conversion leaves offcuts: block edges, trial cuts, contour-cutting waste. In the flexible foam industry this material has a well-established second career.

Rebond - mechanical recycling that works

The process is simple and industrially mature:

• Offcuts are shredded into granulate a few millimetres in size.
• The granulate is mixed with a PU binder and compressed in a mould.
• The result is a block of 60–120 kg/m³ - several times denser than the source foam - which is then cut like any other.

Rebond blocks are recognisable by their multicoloured structure, as the granulate comes from foams of different colours.

Where rebond beats primary foam

• Sports surfaces: gyms, fitness floors, protective linings - the high density gives impact resistance primary foam cannot deliver economically.
• Flooring underlays: under laminate and carpet, as acoustic and thermal insulation.
• Vibration isolation of machines and equipment.
• Seating that requires very high load capacity.

Other routes for PU waste

• Energy recovery - controlled incineration with energy utilisation, for material that cannot be mechanically recycled.
• Chemical recycling (glycolysis) - breaking foam back down into polyol components; a technology maturing industrially, with the first commercial plants in Europe.

What this means for customers

Your cutting waste need not be a cost: for larger volumes of contour waste, material take-back can be arranged. And if your product can live with rebond, you get a denser material at a lower price - ask us whether your application fits.