Covestro provides recycled material solutions for smartphones

● Partially recycled thermoplastic polyurethane and polycarbonate

● Material solutions reduce greenhouse gas emissions

● In line with Fairphone's modular design concept

Covestro is partnering with Fairphone, a Dutch company that aims to build an environmentally friendly smartphone market, to provide more recycled material solutions for its smartphones
.
In addition to supplying fully and partially recycled thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material for the Fairphone 3 and the new generation of Fairphone 4 mobile phone cases, Covestro's partially recycled polycarbonate material solution has also been applied to the Fairphone 4
.

The Fairphone 4 parts, made from Covestro post-consumer recycled (PCR) polycarbonate material, include the back cover, middle frame and wireless charger
.
This Makrolon® polycarbonate product line has a PCR content of 30%-50%, physical properties similar to virgin materials, good impact resistance, balanced flow, high hardness and flame retardancy to ensure equipment life cycle Long-lasting, while reducing carbon emissions by 30% compared to virgin materials
.
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Covestro has also developed a new series of recycled and partially recycled materials under Desmopan® TPU, which has been applied to the Fairphone 4 protective case, and has passed the RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) international standard certification focusing on the traceability of the supply chain of recyclable raw materials
.

These include Desmopan® 3095AU RC100, which was further developed after evaluating various sources of industrial recycled plastics and selecting the most suitable raw materials
.
This 100% recycled material exhibits the typical advantages of TPU in terms of chemical and abrasion resistance, while being easier to process due to its lower melting point and better flow than virgin material
.
These characteristics have been proven in the application of the Fairphone 3 protective case before, and now this material solution has been further applied to the Fairphone 4 protective case, which is available in gray, green and pink
.

Modular design for easier maintenance

Fairphone devices are known for their modular design, making them more serviceable
.
This design requires materials with high mechanical strength to allow repeated disassembly and repair
.
Glass-fibre reinforced grades in Covestro's Makrolon® post-consumer recycled materials portfolio offer increased stiffness and impact resistance, providing an ideal solution for the Fairphone 4's midframe that needs to withstand pressure, and is compatible with Fairphone's modules compatible with the design approach
.
By using polycarbonate in the casing and TPU plastic in the protective case, Covestro has also achieved a single material for each component, which will facilitate the end-of-life recycling of smartphones
.

"We are helping Fairphone achieve its sustainability goals with a post-consumer recycled material solution
.
With a material solution with high mechanical strength, we can help with the modular design of Fairphone's products and improve serviceability
.
" Hu Nan, vice president of the global electrical and electronic industry market of Xtron Engineering Plastics Division, said, "Cooperation projects such as these are also in line with our vision to fully realize the circular economy
.
"

"Building a fairer and more sustainable future is our shared mission, and Fairphone is delighted to partner with Covestro to apply its recycled renewable material solutions in our Fairphone 4," said Wein Wong, Vice President of Product Operations at Fairphone
.
"We believe , Covestro can help us move towards a circular economy and thus a more sustainable world
.
This is only the first step, and we will continue to support Covestro in developing more sustainable materials
.
”