The “Cervera” RECIPOL Network of Excellence has been established as a pioneering consortium in the research and development of advanced technologies for the recycling and recovery of polyurethane materials. This project unites the efforts of five technological centers considered excellent and specialized in sectors where the use of materials derived from polyurethane is very common, such as furniture, footwear, packaging, automotive and construction.
The Furniture and Wood Technology Center (CETEM) hosted the first official meeting of the RECIPOL consortium, which took place on April 16 and 17 at its facilities. CETEM, in its role as coordinator of the consortium, hosted this event that marks the beginning of joint activities within the Network of Excellence “Cervera” RECIPOL.
For two days, representatives of the technology centers Aitiip (Zaragoza), APIDIT-CTCR (La Rioja), ITENE (Valencia) and FUNDITEC (Madrid), met in Yecla to discuss strategies, objectives and next steps in the framework of research and development of technologies for the circular economy applied to the recycling and recovery of polyurethane materials.
The meeting was established to analyze the results obtained so far and to establish the guidelines to be followed during the remainder of the project’s development. Fundamental issues such as strategic planning, knowledge sharing and the design of the work phases to achieve the objectives established in the project were addressed. In this way, the centers are positioned as a reference in the promotion of the circular economy through applied research and technology transfer in the field of recycling complex materials.
Likewise, during the meeting the first tasks, which have already begun to be executed, were discussed:
- Obtaining sustainable and bio-based raw materials for polyurethane synthesis (monomers, polyols and additives).
- Drafting of a report describing the technology for obtaining bio-based monomers, polyols and additives.
- Planning the dissemination of the project with tasks such as the development of the web page.
The next phase of the RECIPOL project contemplates the implementation of specific activities designed to achieve the milestones proposed in the work agenda. Some of the key objectives to be achieved in the coming months are based on working with polyurethane synthesis technologies of renewable and/or sustainable origin and polyurethane synthesis technologies that facilitate its subsequent chemical recycling through thermal stimuli.
Collaboration between the member technology centers promises to be key to the development of innovative and sustainable technologies that contribute to the transformation towards a more prosperous and efficient circular economy.
Why RECIPOL?
The task of recycling in many sectors is a difficult problem to be tackled by the companies that look to the Technological Centers for the necessary knowledge to solve it. In this particular case, the consortium focuses on economically viable recycling and recovery systems for waste that is difficult to recycle, with emphasis on polyurethane-based materials.
Recycling and recovery systems for polyurethane materials are based on reducing both the dependence on fossil sources and the environmental impact caused by the waste resulting from the end-of-life of polyurethane-containing products.
The centers that make up the cluster intend to strengthen through these developments their position both nationally and internationally in R&D related to the Circular Economy, recycling and improving sustainability in waste management, so that it translates into greater capabilities for participation in R&D projects and transfer of viable and profitable results to the industry. 
This is a proposal submitted in the call for grants for Cervera Technology Centers of Excellence, framed within the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation 2021-2023.
Obtaining this aid recognizes the excellence of the participating centers, accrediting them as “Cervera Centers of Excellence”.
Consortium
The RECIPOL cluster centers are distributed throughout Spain, with five different autonomous communities. This group is led by the Furniture and Wood Technology Center (CETEM), and has four other technology centers as members: the Aitiip Technology Center (Aragon); the Association for the Promotion, Research, Development and Technological Innovation of the footwear industry and related industries of La Rioja (APIDIT-CTCR); the ITENE Technology Center (Valencia) and the Advantx Technology Foundation (FUNDITEC), Madrid.
