Recycling and recovery of composite materials : Elcimaï Environnement commissioned to conduct a study for Charente-Maritime and its neighboring departments
Whether thermosetting or thermoformable, whether made of fiberglass or natural fibers, polyester or epoxy, composite materials are difficult to recycle. Yet they are used in a wide variety of applications and are becoming increasingly prevalent and diverse.
Although APER (Association for Eco-Responsible Boating), the Industrial Technical Center for Plastics and Composites (CETIM), IFTH, POLYVIA, and ADEME are currently conducting a national study aimed at updating the 2017 CRECOF (French Composites Recycling Committee) guide on composite recycling, the sector is struggling to gain traction.
The Rochefort Océan Urban Community, which has signed an Ecological Transition Contract with the French government centered on the circular economy, nevertheless views this as a major challenge for its region. At the local level, the recycling and recovery of composite materials currently lack established recycling streams.
It has therefore commissioned Elcimaï Environnement to conduct an economic, qualitative, quantitative, and geographic assessment of the production and management of glass-polyester and glass-epoxy composite materials in the Charente-Maritime region and its neighboring departments (Vendée, Deux-Sèvres, Charente, and Gironde).
The consulting firm, which specializes in the circular economy and ecological transition, began by auditing some twenty stakeholders in the aerospace, wind energy, boating, outdoor recreation, and rail sectors, as well as waste collection and treatment operators, and finally the composites industry. The aim was to understand not only the waste production phase but also the existing logistics for its collection and treatment.
Regarding waste sources, the findings indicate that the wind power and marine sectors have the greatest potential, with identifiable sources of waste available for the coming years. Glass fibers have low economic value ; by comparison, carbon fiber is worth approximately ten times as much. Long service lives are noted (ranging from 10 to 30 years depending on the type).
For production waste in the region, composite waste is primarily collected mixed with commercial and industrial waste (CIW). Regarding end-of-life management, deconstruction channels are in place for the marine sector ; the dismantling of wind turbines is expected to emerge in the coming years (regulatory requirement).
Regarding treatment, the streams used for this mixed waste are partly RDF (refuse-derived fuel) streams used to generate energy. It is also landfilled or incinerated.
As part of its study and at this stage, Elcimaï Environnement has also highlighted several avenues to explore. First, eco-design, which involves reducing the use of non-recyclable materials and non-renewable resources in favor of the repairability and recyclability of materials at end-of-life. Also, the path of reuse and repurposing, by promoting the second-hand market, the resale of parts (wind turbine blades, etc.), and the repurposing of functions (street furniture, etc.). Mechanical processes will likely be predominant for glass fiber-based composites.
While this industry does not yet exist in France, the process—particularly for fiberglass—would involve successive grinding and screening to separate the fibers from the residues. Finally, thermal processes represent a path worth exploring, thanks to pyrolysis—which is particularly well-suited for carbon fibers—as well as chemical processes (solvolysis), which are still only at the R&D stage.