Our project
Composite materials such as glass fibre reinforced plastics (GFRPs) are widely used in energy, automotive, marine, and infrastructure sectors due to their strength, lightweight properties, and durability. However, their end-of-life (EoL) disposal poses a significant environmental challenge. Each year, Europe produces over one million tonnes of GFRP, much of which ends up in landfill or is incinerated.
The decommissioning of thousands of tonnes of wind turbine blades in the coming years will worsen the problem, adding to the environmental burden and undermining sustainability targets. Current recycling methods are costly, environmentally damaging, or result in low-value outputs.
There is therefore an urgent need for scalable, environmentally friendly recycling solutions that not only reclaim fibres but also upcycle them into advanced materials suitable for reuse in high-value sectors such as automotive manufacturing.
Research impact
EMPHASIZING is pioneering innovative methods to reclaim and upcycle glass fibres from EoL composites using the DEECOM® pressolysis process. This technology enables the clean reclamation of fibres free from residues, preserving their integrity and allowing them to be re-sized and compounded for enhanced performance.
Project objectives include:
- Developing, testing, and optimising the EMPHASIZING recycling system for wind and maritime composites.
- Producing upcycled, resized glass fibres with improved mechanical properties.
- Demonstrating automotive components manufactured with reclaimed fibres.
- Establishing a viable value chain for the exploitation of reclaimed GRPs.
- Conducting impact and life cycle assessment (LCA) to validate environmental and economic viability.
- Working on developing standards for GRP recycling and upcycling.
EMPHASIZING will enable a shift toward sustainable composite use by:
Automotive sector: Introducing reclaimed fibres into mainstream vehicle manufacturing, proving composites can be both sustainable and cost-effective.
Renewable energy: Providing recycling pathways for decommissioned wind blades, reducing landfill and incineration.
Policy and standards bodies: Offering validated processes that inform future recycling standards.
Society: Lowering environmental impact by eradicating harmful chemicals, reducing CO₂ emissions, and diverting composites from landfill.
The EMPHASIZING project will directly support industries and society by transforming how end-of-life glass fibre composites are managed.
For the automotive sector: EMPHASIZING will provide access to a reliable stream of upcycled, high-quality glass fibres that can be reintroduced into car part production. This reduces dependency on virgin materials, cuts costs, and accelerates the shift to lightweight, sustainable vehicles.
For renewable energy sectors: By creating viable recycling pathways for decommissioned wind blade composites, the project prevents thousands of tonnes of waste from being landfilled or incinerated.
For policy makers and standards bodies: EMPHASIZING will establish validated processes that can underpin future recycling standards, ensuring industry-wide adoption of sustainable practices.
For society at large: The project reduces environmental impact by diverting composites from landfill, eliminating the need for harmful recycling chemicals, and cutting CO₂ emissions from incineration.
In practice, EMPHASIZING’s outcomes will enable a circular economy for composites, ensuring that valuable glass fibre materials are not wasted but instead recirculated into high-value applications. The first applications will be in automotive manufacturing, with wider potential in transport, energy, and infrastructure sectors globally.