Recycling of Polyurethane Foams: A Strategy in Waste Management and Control

Abstract

Recycling ·of polymer materials such as polyurethane foam is one of the needed strategies to combat the menace of pollution in our environment. Pollution has been a consequence of ever-increasing massive quantity of wastes generated from household and industrial activities, posing a global challenge to man and the environment. Recycling can also be used to conserve natural resources and reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials therefore having an overall effect- on reducing unnecessary generation of waste from production processes. In Nigeria . today, recycling. of polyurethane post consumer product as a means of waste reduction in our society is still grossly underutilised. This paper examines the current trend in recycling as a means of waste management and focuses on various methods of recycling polyurethane foams considering their application(s) to the Nigerian situation.

Keywords

• Waste management
• Polyurethane
• Recycling
• Foams
• Polymer