Title: Circular System Innovation for Polyurethane Foam: Catalytic approach to upcycle foam waste from mattresses and beyond
Project Leader: Dr. Tanujjal Bora
Project Partners: Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand; University of Cambridge, UK; Circularity Co. Ltd., Thailand
Objectives:
The goals of this project led by AIT are the development of an eco-friendly and economically viable technology and the exchange of knowledge necessary for addressing the reusability of polyurethane (PU) foam waste, which otherwise would be disposed to landfill due to the lack of efficient recycling technology. The partnership between Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand; Circularity Co. Ltd., a world’s first circular economy-based mattress subscription business start-up in Thailand; and University of Cambridge, UK, aims for a hybrid PU foam upcycling technology based on Nanotechnology to revolutionize the PU waste recycling process, and explore the circular economy business innovation opportunities for the Thai context. In parallel, the captured know-how will be disseminated through new curriculum to the engineering students and industry practitioners.
Sponsors:
- The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE), UK
- The National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand
- Circularity Co. Ltd., Thailand
Amount: GBP 180,000 (THB 7,729,360.00)
Concept:
