Method of obtaining information on the recyclability of at least one flexible foam made at least partially of at least one polyurethane

A computer-implemented method of obtaining information on the recyclability of at least one flexible foam made at least partially of at least one polyurethane, the method comprising:

• i. at least one first determination step, comprising executing a model trained on a training data set including historical experimental spectral data, the model trained to classify sample spectral data as indicative of one or more constituent compounds, by providing as input to the model spectral data of the flexible foam, wherein output from the model automatically identifies whether at least one first chemical compound of a predetermined first list of recyclable candidate components for a first class of monomers of polyurethane is present in the flexible foam, the first list of recyclable candidate components comprising at least one first recyclable candidate component;
• ii. at least one first decision step, comprising automatically deciding, on the basis of the outcome of step i., whether a second determination step is required,
• iii. performing the second determination step when it is determined in the first determination step that the first chemical compound of the first list of recyclable candidate components is present in the flexible foam, the second determination step comprising determining whether at least one second chemical compound of a predetermined second list of recyclable candidate components for a second class of monomers of polyurethane is present in the flexible foam, the second list of recyclable candidate components comprising at least one second recyclable candidate component,
• whereas, when it is determined in the first determination step that the first chemical compound of the first list of recyclable candidate components is not present in the flexible foam, the method further comprises generating at least one item of information indicating that the flexible foam is not recyclable,
• iv. at least one second decision step, comprising automatically deciding, after performing step iii., on the basis of the outcome of step iii., whether a third determination step is required, and
• v. performing the third determination step when it is determined in the second determination step that the second chemical compound of the second list of recyclable candidate components is present in the flexible foam, the third determination step comprising determining whether at least one flame retardant compound of a predetermined third list of candidate flame retardant components is present in the flexible foam, the third list of candidate flame retardant components comprising at least one flame retardant candidate component,
• whereas, when it is determined in the second determination step that the second chemical compound of the second list of recyclable candidate components is not present in the flexible foam, the method further comprises generating at least one item of information indicating that the flexible foam is not recyclable.