At JEC World 2026 (Paris Nord Villepinte, March 10 to 12), CANNON will present its revolutionary approach to recycling polyurethane (PU) and PU-glass fiber composites (GFRPs).
The process has been developed in close cooperation with PU processor MAP S.p.A. and the University of Bergamo, with co-funding from the Italian strategic plan for the EU recovery fund NextGenerationEU. Named POSSIBLE, for “PrOduce SuStainabLE Industrial Bodies,” the project has laid the groundwork for PU and GFRPs end-of-life recycling and reuse, successfully demonstrating that ground foam and granulated parts can be used as secondary reinforcement materials in new composite formulations.
Thermosets account for about 12% of global plastic production, with over 40 million tons per year. Of these, polyurethane foams alone account for about 17 million tons, over 42%. While valued for their mechanical and thermal resistance, stability, and the possibility of incorporating reinforcing fibers, the combination of chemical cross-linking in the material and fibers makes traditional recycling almost impossible. Scientific research has developed several potential chemical recycling routes, but these work on a laboratory scale and are often too slow, too expensive, or incompatible with existing PU manufacturing processes. CANNON therefore decided to focus on a more direct approach, reintegrating pure or composite rigid PU waste through two complementary methods, both compatible with their high-pressure systems.
In the image: The Cannon FPL 36 IW high-pressure mixing head dispenses polyurethane filled with rigid PU granules onto a mold.
(Photo: The Cannon Group)
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12 February 2026
