Covestro expanding alternative raw materials use under “Circular Intelligence” label

In Germany, alternative raw materials are an important pillar in building a circular economy. Here, materials manufacturer Covestro is focusing on an increased use of biomass, recyclates and green hydrogen. The company is now offering products with a minimum content of 25 percent of alternative raw materials under the new “CQ” label. CQ stands for “Circular Intelligence”, a smarter approach to more sustainable materials and solutions. Customers can easily distinguish products based on alternative raw materials from fossil-based ones by the CQ label in the product name.

Plastic waste is a valuable raw material and should not simply be disposed of. Therefore, Covestro is taking pride in proving that the path to circularity is possible for all stakeholders – and makes innovative recycling a priority. For the continuous evolution of recycling, the company now introduces the name “Evocycle® CQ”. It is an extension to the CQ label and stands for recycling technologies which enable the use of recycled plastics and recycled raw materials from the Covestro portfolio within a streamlined closed-loop system.

The first initiative is called Evocycle® CQ Mattress: Covestro, together with partners, has developed an innovative technology for the chemolysis of polyurethane flexible foams from used mattresses, in which both main components – the polyol and the precursor to the isocyanate TDI – can be recovered. With this, end of life mattress foams are directly transformed back into renewed polyurethane building blocks.