Q&A Frequently Asked Questions

Can flexible urethane foam be recycled?

It can be recycled.
The main method of recycling soft urethane foam is to crush the foam into chips, spray adhesive on them, and then compress and mold them into a block product known as chip foam (ribbon-dead foam). However, molded products (chip molds) are also mass-produced and are widely used in a variety of fields, including automotive parts and furniture.
However, the majority of the waste generated at foam factories and processing plants is clean and is reused, and dirty used foam is not recycled due to hygiene concerns.
In addition to material recycling, other recycling technologies for flexible polyurethane foam have been developed, including chemical decomposition and recovery of raw materials, and environmentally friendly methods of burning the material using a reducing flame and recovering it as energy.Recently, efforts have been made to put these technologies into practical use.

How should I dispose of used flexible polyurethane foam products?

Disposal methods vary by municipality, so please dispose of them according to the methods specified by your local municipality's ordinances.
According to Tokyo Metropolitan ordinances, used flexible polyurethane foam should be cut into small pieces, placed in 45-liter garbage bags, labeled with a designated sticker, and then taken to a collection point on a designated day. If you are disposing of large quantities of large amounts of waste, you will need to notify us in advance, so please dispose of it in accordance with the garbage disposal instructions provided by your local city or town.