Spain’s Recypur Eco SL in L'Alcúdia has successfully started up a complete airlay line delivered and installed by international technology group Andritz. The line is designed for recycling of post-industrial and post-consumer foam and was developed for the bedding and furniture industry, with material heights reaching 20 cm and densities of up to 120 kg/m³.

Experimental tests carried out together with experts from Andritz Laroche led to the conclusion that the mechanical method for recycling polyurethane is the most versatile and reliable.

With a capacity of 1.2 t/h, this airlay line enables Recypur to supply new mattresses made of industrial and post-consumer foam waste from old mattresses. This well proven process allows to reduce the environmental impact, increase self-sufficiency and eventually reduce the use of polyurethane, the two companies said in a joint media release.

Such a set-up also allows multiple functional materials to be incorporated into the blend, such as flame-retardant, conductive and insulating fibres, among others. The scope of supply includes a blending line with five feeders, an Exel 1500 for fine opening, an Airlay Flexiloft+ with 2.20 m working width, a recycling machine and an oven. 

Airlay lines strongly support the circular economy and are part of Andritz’s comprehensive product portfolio of sustainable solutions that help customers achieve their own sustainability goals in terms of climate and environmental protection.

Tomás Zamora, innovation director, Recypur, commented: “The treatment of waste being a major stake, we knew that we could rely on Andritz’s high level of expertise. They have fully supported our R&D team in their technical center by using 100 per cent of the foam coming from end-of-life mattresses and sofas. Thanks to this state-of-the-art new equipment, we have succeeded in finding the exact required solution for the mechanical recycling of mattresses. Now 250 kg of CO₂ are saved for each ton manufactured by our company as compared to manufacturing with virgin polyurethane.”

Recypur, based in the Spanish province of Valencia, is part of DELAX, a Spanish group specialised in manufacturing and commercialisation of innovative beds and mattresses. This company is the first Spanish manufacturer of recycled flexible polyurethane foam cores from post-consumer foam waste.