Covestro has started a pilot plant at its Leverkusen site to chemically recycle Vulkollan, a polyurethane elastomer used in industrial equipment. The process can recover over 90% of the material by mass and cut the carbon footprint by up to two-thirds compared to virgin fossil-based production. The plant will test different waste streams and gather data for future scale-up. Covestro is working with customers, recyclers, and logistics partners to build collection systems for end-of-life Vulkollan. The company also plans to explore recycling for other specialty elastomers and thermoplastic polyurethanes. This pilot is part of Covestro's broader goal to become fully circular and strengthens Leverkusen as a hub for sustainable material innovation.
