Researchers at the University of Twente have developed a safer method to recycle polyurethane (PUR) foam commonly found in mattresses, furniture, household sponges, and even sports insoles without the use of toxic chemicals. The breakthrough offers a much-needed circular solution for millions of tons of difficult-to-recycle waste.
Image Credit: University of Twente
PUR foam typically ends up in landfills or is incinerated after use, as it’s rarely reused or fully recycled. Until now, only parts of the foam could be recovered, and doing so required hazardous chemicals.
For a long time, the use of phosgene, a lethal substance, was the only way to break apart this foam. That is simply unacceptable if you really want to use recycling on a large scale.
Jurriaan Huskens, Study Project Leader, University of Twente
From Mattresses to Sports Insoles
The Twente team has discovered a way to fully break down PUR foam into its original building blocks using a safe, environmentally friendly compound. These recovered raw materials can then be reused to make new foam products.
“We show that you can recover both the soft part and the hard part of the foam. This makes it possible for the first time to make PUR truly circular,” added Jean-Paul Lange.
The method has proven effective on a wide range of foams—from mattresses and furniture to medical applications and athletic gear—making it especially promising for industrial adoption.
That's what makes this finding so powerful. We did not use artificially pure foam in the lab, but just foam as it is found in real-world products.
Ege Hosgor, Ph.D. Student and Study First Author, University of Twente
Towards a Circular Future
This advancement is a major step toward a circular economy for plastics and could dramatically reduce global waste. The team is now focused on scaling up the method for industrial use.
“The great thing is that this process is not only safer, but also offers real a real solution for the millions of tons of foam that are thrown away worldwide,” said Huskens.
Journal Reference:
Hosgor, E., et al. (2025) Polyurethane depolymerization by dialkyl carbonates: toward sustainable chemical recycling. Green Chemistry. doi.org/10.1039/d5gc02533h