Mechanical recycling machinery manufacturer Redwave has reported on its progress as part of the Puresmart project (styled PUReSmart), an initiative supported by the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. Puresmart aims to stimulate the development of technology for end of life (EoL) treatments, including both chemical and mechanical recycling techniques.
Until recently, discarded mattresses were considered unrecyclable: 60% ended up in landfill, and the remaining 40% were incinerated.
In 2019, the Puresmart consortium set out to find ways to make the life cycle of PU circular. Puresmart has investigated not just how to recycle mattresses, but also how to manufacture mattresses in a way that supports more efficient material recovery at EoL. From its foundation, Puresmart recognised that effective PU recycling would require a reliable mechanical sorting process before the chemolysis (chemical recycling) process.