CANNON introduces the POSSIBLE initiative to recycle rigid polyurethane and GFRP materials, advancing sustainable solutions in composite recycling.
At JEC World 2026, scheduled from March 10 to 12 at Paris Nord Villepinte, CANNON Group will showcase an innovative solution for recycling polyurethane (PU) materials and polyurethane–glass fiber reinforced composites (GFRPs).
This technology has been developed through collaboration with MAP S.p.A. and the University of Bergamo, supported by funding from Italy’s strategic program under the European recovery initiative NextGenerationEU. The initiative, known as POSSIBLE (“PrOduce SuStainabLE Industrial Bodies”), demonstrates how processed PU waste—such as ground foam and granulated composite parts—can be reused as secondary reinforcement materials in new composite products.
Thermoset plastics represent roughly 12% of worldwide plastic production, exceeding 40 million tons annually. Polyurethane foams alone account for nearly 17 million tons, making them one of the largest segments. Despite their advantages, including durability, thermal insulation, and mechanical strength, recycling these materials has traditionally been difficult due to their cross-linked chemical structure and the presence of reinforcing fibers. While laboratory research has explored chemical recycling methods, these approaches often remain impractical for industrial adoption because of cost, complexity, or incompatibility with existing manufacturing systems.
To address this challenge, CANNON has focused on a practical solution that reintegrates rigid PU waste—both pure and fiber-reinforced—into production using two complementary techniques compatible with high-pressure processing equipment already used in industry.
According to Maurizio Corti, Corporate R&D Director at CANNON, sustainability and end-of-life management have become key priorities in the plastics sector, particularly for reinforced thermosets. Rigid PU foams and GFRP composites remain essential for applications requiring energy efficiency, such as automotive components, building insulation, and technical equipment, yet their recycling has been limited. Traditional disposal methods like landfill and incineration are increasingly restricted due to environmental and regulatory pressures.
Dario Pigliafreddo, Mobility and Specialties Sales Manager at CANNON, explained that the POSSIBLE project was designed to explore recycling methods without disrupting established production chemistry or requiring entirely new manufacturing lines. Instead, the approach builds on existing glass-fiber impregnation technologies, adapting high-pressure foaming platforms already used by PU manufacturers to incorporate recycled materials.
Two main recycling pathways were evaluated during the project.
Powder Integration Method:
Rigid PU foam waste is processed into fine and coarse powders, which are then dispersed into the polyol component to create a slurry. This mixture can contain up to 20% recycled material relative to the polyol stream. To maintain mixing efficiency despite increased viscosity, the system separates clean and loaded streams of polyol and isocyanate before recombining them in the mixing head. Testing confirmed uniform material distribution, with only a minor increase in thermal conductivity—about 4% compared to standard foam—allowing insulation performance to remain largely unchanged even with recycled content.
Granulate Integration Method:
In the second approach, PU waste and PU-glass fiber composites are converted into granules and introduced directly into the mixing process as solid fillers using specialized dosing equipment combined with long-fiber injection technology. Different feeding systems were evaluated, with flexible screw conveyors showing the best versatility and stability across various material densities. Panels produced using this method successfully incorporated up to 40% recycled granules while maintaining consistent distribution and structural integrity.
Testing results indicate that recycling rigid PU and GFRP materials can be integrated directly into existing production workflows without significant process changes. Instead of treating waste as a disposal problem, manufacturers can reuse it as a valuable raw material, delivering both environmental and economic benefits. This represents a meaningful advancement toward circular manufacturing for thermoset materials, which have historically been considered difficult or impossible to recycle.
Building on the findings of the POSSIBLE project, CANNON is now developing commercially viable solutions aimed at bringing PU and GFRP recycling technologies to market in the near future.