China PU association issues chemical-recycling standards

The China Polyurethane Industry Association (CPUIA) has approved and released four new group standards covering the chemical recycling of rigid and flexible polyurethane (PU) foam plastics, with implementation set for 26 January 2026.

Issued under CPUIA Notice (2026) No. 02 and in line with China’s Standardization Law, the standards define technical requirements for both feedstocks and recycled outputs from PU chemical-recycling processes. They were reviewed and approved by expert panels organised by the association.

Two of the standards address rigid PU foams. T/CPUIA 0005.1-2023 specifies raw-material technical requirements, while T/CPUIA 0005.2-2023 sets technical requirements for recycled polyether polyols derived from chemical recycling. A further two standards focus on flexible PU foams: T/CPUIA 0006.1-2023 (raw-material requirements) and T/CPUIA 0006.2-2023 (technical requirements for recycled materials).

All four standards were led by Wanhua Chemical Group, highlighting the company’s role in shaping technical frameworks for PU chemical recycling in China.

Although classified as group (association) standards rather than national standards, CPUIA specifications are widely referenced across China’s polyurethane value chain and are expected to influence investment, technology development and commercialisation of chemical-recycling routes for PU foams in the coming years.

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash, montage by PU Magazine

CPUIA (in Chinese)