Covestro AG is supplying circular material solutions to Fairphone, a Dutch social enterprise building a market for ethical smartphones.
Covestro is supplying fully and partly-recycled thermoplastic polyurethanes for use in the protective case of the Fairphone 3 and its successor, the Fairphone 4, said the German materials company Jan. 25.
Furthermore, the company is providing partly recycled polycarbonates for use in the newer device.
Covestro said it had developed a new range of recycled and partially recycled TPUs of the Desmopan brand, which are certified according to RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) — an international standard for the traceability of recycled raw materials within supply chains.
The range includes the product Desmopan 3095AU RC100, which was developed "after identifying several streams of post-industrial recycled plastics," Covestro said.
Partly recycled polycarbonates from Covestro are used in the new Fairphone 4, including a completely recycled TPU in the protective case.
The fully recycled material, Covestro added, exhibits the typical advantages of TPU, such as high chemical and abrasion resistance.
The material is, however, easier to process because it melts at lower temperatures and flows better than virgin material.
The product is available in three color variants: grey, green and pink.
Products from Covestro's post-consumer recycled (PCR) polycarbonate portfolio are used in the Fairphone 4's rear device cover, middle frame and wireless charger.