12 metric tonnes of polyurethane foam are discharged during manufacturing and/or processing and hence recycling of PUF is necessary for better economics and ecological reasons. Is there any way to make PU foam bio-degradable or can anyone suggest most feasible way to recycle or reuse PU foam?
I would look for bacteria able to do this. Recently on one of the waste dump (in Germany?) new bacteria were found that are able to digest PET (poly ethylene terephtalate). Bacteria evolve to be able to digest available carbon sources. Start mixing soil and mud (various bacteria) with crumbled PU foam and bacteria will learn how to eat it, may take some time. May be look for the ready one on the waste dump. Once in the industrial environment, I've seen bacteria eating waists from coking plant, they even eat phenol and coal...
Mr. Tomasz Ciach, I agree with your suggestion. Has any bacteria been discovered to digest PU waste or is it just a postulate?
This is just an idea, but such bacteria will appear sooner or later, like the one eating PET. You can speed it up by rational activity. I remember the story about this coking plant, they have been collecting mud from various place around the coal mine and waste dumps, and trying, after 6 months the system was working. It was really impressive, open pool with 30 degrees Celsius, with stirrer and air bubblers, plenty of steam since around was minus(!) 10 C… Bacteria produced a lot of energy and no waste, even small pieces of coal disappeared…
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