Vienna, Austria – Foamer Neveon has teamed up with recycling expert Brantner Green Solutions on a mattress recycling joint venture. The two Austrian companies said it will be the first mattress recycling company in the country. It is now awaiting approval from the competition authorities.
The new company will be located on the Danube in Krems, about 75km downstream of Vienna. In conjunction with collection centres, it will retrieve and disassemble used mattresses. Neveon and other partners will then use the salvaged raw materials to make new composite foam products, such as mats for cowsheds and materials for sound insulation.
More than a million used mattresses are disposed of in Austria every year, releasing about 150kT CO2. About a sixth of this CO2 is generated during incineration, they said.
“In line with our parent company Greiner, we have firmly anchored the promotion of a circular economy in our corporate strategy, with the aim of becoming a fully circular company,” said Neveon’s CEO Jürgen Kleinrath. “The signing of the joint venture agreement together with our partner Brantner Green Solutions is an important step on this journey.”
The recycling infrastructure in Austria is not yet supported by extended producer responsibility schemes, the companies said. “The EPR, which is due in many countries, provides financial support to recycling companies and creates incentives for manufacturers to produce more environmentally friendly products, which ultimately leads to a better recycling infrastructure and a more efficient recycling process,” said Brantner’s MD Stefan Tollinger. “Although there is still room for improvement with regard to the incentives in Austria, and this would enable us to promote a circular economy even more quickly, we are going the extra mile together with Neveon to offer a better future to the next generations.”
Source: Urethanes Technology
