From October 2021 till September 2025, Circularise participated in the project ‘Systemic expansion of territorial circular ecosystems for end-of-life foam’ (Circular Foam). Circular Foam is a multi-stakeholder research project focused on improving the circularity of high-performance plastics on the example of rigid polyurethane (PU) foams. Together with 22 leading experts in the industry, Circularise is leading the development of a system for communicating the production process data.
Current challenge
Rigid polyurethane foam (PU foam) is a lightweight insulation material. It has many benefits. The foam keeps the fridges cold and homes warm. Therefore, it saves energy and limits CO2 emissions. PU foam, however, is hard to recycle because of the lack of standardisation.
Objectives of the project
To contribute to addressing this issue, Circularise joined Circular Foam. Circular Foam is an interdisciplinary research project that aims to close the loop in the value chain of PU foam by developing a recycling process. The project involves the construction and appliance sectors, where the PU foam is used for building and refrigerators respectively.
Circular Foam is led by a polymer company Covestro. Some of the other partners are recycling agency Interzero, a producer of PU insulation boards Unilin, Ruhr Universität Bochum, TU Dortmund, as well as a consultancy agency IZNAB. Interzero works on the dismantling strategy. Unilin is testing alternative recycled materials. TU Dortmund and Ruhr Universitat Bochum provide research into the blueprint to assess the incorporation of the systemic solution. IZNAB is responsible for dissemination activities
See the full list of partners at the end of the webpage.
Under their supervision, all participants are developing and testing technical sustainability-related measures along the PU value chain.
In particular, the project focuses on 5 key objectives:
- Establishment of stakeholder clusters (Hubs4Circluarity) responsible for initiating systemic circular transformations.
- Optimisation of waste collection, dismantling, and sorting.
- Development of novel chemical recycling technologies.
- Use of recycled PU foam waste as a renewable feedstock to produce high performance plastics.
- Improved material and product design for circularity that facilitates efficient dismantling and recyclability of products.
The project is tested in 3 regions: North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany, Silesia in Poland, and the Greater Amsterdam region in the Netherlands. Based on these pilots, recommendations will be made for the implementation of circular PU foams in Europe.
Circularise’s role within the project
Circularise is leading the work on the design for circularity.
Using the power of digitalisation, Circularise is expanding the current traceability software to fit the needs of the construction and appliances sector, focusing on the data around the recyclability of PU foam. The enhanced software communicates information to PU foam dismantling and recycling facilities in a reliable and confidential way. Blockchain is used to increase trust, while zero-knowledge cryptography protects confidential data.
Read more about Circularise’s traceability software for suppliers and manufacturers and brands and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
Thereby, Circularise ensures that, at the last stage of a value chain, recycling and dismantling facilities possess the necessary material and product characteristics for painless end-of-life treatment.
Process
Circular Foam started in October 2021 and ends in September 2025.
Ambitions of the project
It is estimated that, from 2040 onwards, the project will save
- 1 million tons of waste,
- 2.9 million tons of CO2 emissions, and
- 150 million euros in incineration.
Outcomes
During the project, Circularise simulated the value chain for multiple products, creating functional digital product passports (DPPs) for stakeholders and also public digital product passports (pDPPs) for consumers. Companies across the supply chain were able to share crucial information like confidential details on chemical compositions, and Circularise’s platform successfully safeguarded sensitive information, ensuring that only relevant data was shared with the necessary stakeholders.
This innovative approach resulted in effective traceability in the manufacturing of the following products:
- A refrigerator door from Electrolux
- An insulation board from Unilin
- A metal panel from Kingspan
Each of these products contained foam produced with raw materials from Covestro. Key components were selected to showcase the traceability capabilities of Circularise’s DPP platform, with component flows illustrated in the images below.
To simulate the flow of the physical components throughout the value chain, a DPP was created for each product, capturing data from the different manufacturers and processes. These DPPs included information relevant to each company’s processes, as well as how they complied with regulations.
Stakeholders identified the following data types as most valuable:
- Chemical composition: Necessary for identifying hazardous elements and additives that could impact the environment or disrupt their internal processes.
- Sourcing composition: Distinguishing between virgin and reused, recycled, or bio-based sources was crucial for validating sustainability claims.
- Environmental regulations: Alongside other sustainability metrics, the platform has the capacity to support life cycle assessments and sustainability certifications.
- Information about the installation and dismantling of products: Especially relevant for the construction industry, where limited access to detailed information often creates challenges during End-of-Life (EoL) processes. An example is accidental damage when dismantlers do not know the correct method for removing panels from buildings, reducing both the recycling potential and the quantity of recoverable materials.
Although these digital product passports provided different value chain actors with access to crucial data, further information needed to be shared to support additional stakeholders downstream and the public. Recyclers, for instance, need detailed data to effectively manage End-of-Life (EoL) products, while consumers benefit from insights that empower them to make more sustainable purchasing decisions.
A major challenge was determining which data to share without revealing proprietary information, such as supplier identities or the exact chemical composition of materials. Circularise addressed this issue by giving companies control over the amount and type of information they share, with options like exact figures, ranges, or simple yes/no responses. This extends to the public records that companies input into the system, allowing them to decide who has access to specific information. Ultimately, companies retain full control over the visibility of their data.
Circularise created QR codes that users can scan to access a dedicated website containing all the essential data about the products. Two different QR codes are provided for different screens and displays, and users can choose whichever is better for the online page. The following examples illustrate the outcomes of these efforts, showcasing demonstration products that will be manufactured as part of the project.
These simulations demonstrate that the system can securely share both sensitive company information and general data with the public. This capability is especially beneficial for recycling companies as it provides them with valuable details about product composition, enhancing their recycling processes.
Next steps
With Circularise’s product traceability platform, companies can enhance data-sharing dynamics within their value chains while gaining greater control over the information they disclose. This approach allows them to protect their business secrets while remaining compliant with regulations and certifications. We aim to engage more recycling companies to make recycling processes more efficient.
Circularise aims to create a secure environment that allows companies to share vital information without compromising their data. By prioritising improved access to public records while ensuring companies retain ownership of their data, Circularise is setting a new standard for secure and transparent data sharing.
Read our article about Recycling PU foam: How digital product passports advance circularity across industries to find out more.
Testimonials
Project partners
BioBTX
BioBTX creates sustainable benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX) from non-food biomass and plastic waste.
Covestro
Covestro is one of the leading polymer companies in the world. It is focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative, sustainable solutions for products.
DECHEMA (Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology e.V.)
DECHEMA is a scientific society for chemical engineering and biotechnology. It includes more than 5,500 members, whose activities cover wide areas relevant to process industries.
Electrolux
Electrolux is part of Electrolux Group - a global leader in household appliances. Electrolux focuses on food safety and quality.
https://www.electroluxgroup.com/en/
ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich is a federal technology university. Their Laboratory for Energy and Process Systems Engineering (EPSE) at ETHZ researches sustainability in energy and chemical process systems.
Euro-Centrum Science and Technology Park
The Euro-Centrum Science and Technology Park focuses on the development of energy-efficient technologies and respecting energy in buildings.
http://pnt.euro-centrum.com.pl/
Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML)
The Fraunhofer IML is a non-profit research organisation focused on material flow and logistics systems.
https://www.iml.fraunhofer.de/en.html
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH (FZJ)
FZJ pursues research addressing pressing issues. FSJ’s Institute of Energy and Climate Research has extensive experience in technology assessment and energy systems assessment.
Institute Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI)
CWI is a research institute. One of its focus areas is developing quantitative models to optimise the performance and efficiency of logistic processes.
Interzero
Interzero is one of the market’s leading providers of environmental services for a closing product, material, or logistics loops. It develops models for avoiding wastage and ensuring efficient business practices.
IZNAB Sp. z o.o.
IZNAB Sp. z o.o. provides services in the fields of Engineering and Consultancy, regularly dealing with projects regarding energy-efficient buildings, smart & green transport, clean & green Energy or nano-biotechnology
http://iznab.pl/eng/index.html
Kingspan
Kingspan Group plc is a global leader in high-performance insulation and building envelope solutions.
https://www.kingspan.com/ie/en/
Metropolis GZM
The Metropolis assisted 41 municipalities in Poland and coordinated climate mitigation and adaptation actions in the region.
REDWAVE
REDWARE provides a range of recycling and waste treatment solutions (sorting plants for recyclables, turnkey waste treatment plants, and sensor-based sorting machines).
https://redwave.com/en/?setLang=1
Ruhr Universitat Bochum
Ruhr Universitat Bochum is a university with expertise in participatory research. It hosts such initiatives as the Centrum für Umweltmanagement, Ressourcen und Energie and the university-wide Research Department Closed Carbon Cycle Economy.
https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/en
RWTH Aachen University
RWTH Aachen University host the CAT Catalytic Center and the AVT Fluid Process Engineering which specialise in chemical research for sustainable processes and products and downstream processes and their integration in upstream chemical conversions.
https://www.rwth-aachen.de/go/id/a/?lidx=1
Technische Universitat Dortmund
TU Dortmund hosts the Process Dynamics and Operations Group and the Laboratory of Process Automation Systems. The two research institutions focus on various industrial activities from process control to applied optimisation.
https://www.tu-dortmund.de/en/
The Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
The Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences hosts The Centres of Expertise for Urban Technology which works on sustainable, action-oriented research and innovation partnerships in the field of urban challenges.
https://www.hva.nl/city-net-zero
Unilin
Unilin is the second-largest producer of PU insulation boards in Europe.
University of Groningen
The University of Groningen’s chemical engineering group is active in the development of novel catalytic chemistry and reactor concepts for catalytic processes with a strong emphasis on the conversion of biomass to energy, biofuels and biobased (performance) chemicals.
Wroclaw University of Economics and Business
Wroclaw University of Economics and Business regularly participate in collaborative research projects, where it uses experience in statistics, logistics, supply chain management, waste management, change management, logistics processes’ optimization, and risk analysis.
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