ORSA foam has been one of the most important players in the flexible polyurethane foam sector for years. The company's main objective is the quality of its production processes and finished products, as well as its desire to offer one of the widest existing product ranges, consisting of over 200 types, capable of satisfying the most diverse applications and needs. 

Thanks to an efficient technical, marketing and sales staff ready to find solutions to all application problems, ORSA foam also guarantees a range of services that can effectively meet all market expectations. 

Innovative products, sustainability, recycled raw materials, production processes capable of reducing environmental impact: we talk about this with Barbara Sgarbossa and Andrea Cirani, respectively Sales Director and Research & Development Director of ORSA foam.

Start of the year, time to take stock and strategise for the future. What goals do you set yourself to tackle the markets in 2024? 

The past year has been characterised by a contraction in volumes and an increasing presence of foreign competitors on the Italian market with aggressive policies. ORSA foam's goal for the year 2024 is continuous innovation to remain a reference point in the market and an increasingly important presence abroad.

ORSA Foam produces flexible polyurethane foam with continuous block technology

Sustainability is now considered a great opportunity for companies. How is this concern for the environment expressed in your company? 

The key points of the company are the continuous research into sustainability, a topic that has always been close to our heart and, given the economic uncertainty and the rapid evolution of the market, our strengths will focus on rapid adaptation to change and resilience to unexpected challenges. ORSA foam's efforts will be focused on developing complete ranges of foams using recycled raw materials, polyols obtained from post consumer foams.

What prospects for flexible polyurethane foam? What are the production processes to reduce environmental impact? 

Italy's implementation of European regulations on the Circular Economy and the presence of Minimum Environmental Criteria that regulate Public Administration purchases for building and furnishing, has created an ever-increasing demand for materials containing recycled or renewable raw materials. ORSA foam, which has always been attentive to aspects related to safeguarding the environment and human health, has decided to develop a new range of articles characterised by the use of raw materials containing a certain percentage of recycled materials. The use of materials of renewable origin had already been the subject of previous studies, resulting in the creation of the RisORSA family presented at Interzum 2021.

 Compliance with E.U. circular economy regulations includes reducing/absorbing landfill of end-of-life materials and the production of articles containing certain amounts of recycled materials.

To comply with these two objectives, the above-mentioned study for the use of recycled raw materials includes all types produced by ORSA foam SpA, both polyether and polyester based. 

The formulation composition must be suitable for compliance with the most widely used product standards concerning human and environmental protection. 

With reference to this last point, as is the practice in the field in which ORSA foam operates, accurate tests were necessary to ensure compliance with product standards such as CertiPUR and OEKO-TEX standard 100 class I.