Covestro is building material cycles along the entire value chain - from suppliers, through its own production and logistics, to the use of its products and their recycling.

During the K 2019 plastics trade fair, the company will be presenting a new concept for post-consumer recycled (PCR) polycarbonate waste and its use in the electronics industries at Booth A 75 in Hall 6.

The closed material cycle presented at K 2019 begins with the production of new, transparent polycarbonate at Covestro and its supply to a manufacturer of 5-gallon water bottles. The bottle manufacturers delivers its product to a water producer, which then provides the filled containers to consumers. They can be reused for up to approximately 50 times. At the end-of-life, they are being returned to the bottle manufacturer via the water producer through the same value chain. Then the bottles are shredded, cleaned and sorted. After that, the quality of the post-consumer recyclate is checked and polycarbonate granulates produced. This recycled granulate is processed by Covestro - to form a polycarbonate blend which is used by OEMs to produce new laptops, copiers, printers, mobile chargers for smartphones and other electronic devices.

The presented concept offers significant advantages over previous recycling approaches for thermoplastics. The collection and material sorting of post-consumer products has often been a challenge in the past. Fluctuations in quality have also often stood in the way of effective and economical recycling. However, all partners can benefit from the new concept and the business model behind it. Not only is the electrical and electronics industry very interested in recycled raw materials; the automotive value chain, for example battery manufacturers, is also becoming increasingly committed to using more sustainable materials.

For more information, please visit www.covestro.com