The EU-funded REFRESH project has released results from its initial life cycle assessment (LCA) of recycling processes for glass fibre and carbon fibre composites from end-of-life wind turbine blades.
The study, carried out by RINA, assessed three recycling processes: mechanical recycling, pyrolysis, and microwave-assisted pyrolysis. Compared with linear disposal methods, mechanical recycling reduced environmental impacts by 2% versus landfill, while pyrolysis and microwave-assisted pyrolysis reduced climate change impacts by 71% and 72% respectively compared with incineration.
The analysis also found that the use of recycled fibres as secondary raw materials in industries such as lightweight structures and textiles provided greater environmental benefits than the impacts generated by the recycling processes themselves. Substituting virgin fibres with recycled materials was shown to deliver a net environmental gain.
The LCA was conducted in line with ISO 14040 and 14044 standards using GaBi LCA for Expert software and the Environmental Footprint 3.1 method. It covered impact categories including climate change, fossil resource use, and mineral and metal resource use.
Next steps for REFRESH include optimising processes, assessing applications for recycled materials, and evaluating economic and social sustainability.
