From waste to reinjected material. RE-YU turns waste polyurethane from footwear production into a new resource.
Reducing the environmental impact and promoting sustainability, these are the core concepts of RE-YU, the recycling technology developed by STEMMA which allows the reuse of polyurethane waste derived from injection processes.
This material, otherwise destined to landfill, is ground to powder or granules and then re- injected into the mold thanks to an innovative mixing and dosing system. The result is soles in line with current trends, highlighting the use of recycled material within them, for novel aesthetic solutions. A circular economy process which, by reducing the use and costs linked to raw materials and waste disposal, actively contributes to environmental protection and generates significant savings.
RE-YU has been designed to efficiently integrate into STEMMA’s direct injection molding systems, without requiring modifications or replacements of the injectors or moulds. This eliminates time wastage and allows for the production ofitems in either “virgin” or “blended” material during the same machine cycle.
Laboratory tests have shown that the soles produced with RE-YU containing up to 15% recycled polyurethane mixed in the total weight keep their technical and qualitative features almost unchanged.
RE-YU technology also gives the chance to experiment with different types of powders or granules derived, for example, from upper scraps, fibrous elements, rubber parts and other waste materils. This opens up further possibilities for recycling in the footwear sector.
RE-YU: sustainable innovation in polyurethane injection processes that leads to economic, environmental and design advantages.
