Fiberglass Recycling

Why Recycle FRP?

There is a trend towards decreasing landfill waste, with many sectors in Canada and around the world drastically reducing landfill usage. Edmonton for instance decreased it landfill use by 67% in just two years. Nova Scotia also has achieved very aggressive landfill reductions, reducing the number of landfills from 40 to 10 in 10 years. When landfills close, waste has to travel further distances, and so there is both an economic and environmental impact.

With the increasing use of composites, and as more parts reach their end of life, pressure on disposing the waste in an environmentally conscious means is likely to increase.

The good news is that recycled FRP is a material with unique properties, and it is believed it can be used as a value added means to improving a variety of products. As such, it has a good chance of being economically viable, particularly if there can also be some government support for FRP recycling.

Who should have an interest in Recycling FRP?

FRP Manufacturing Industry: The FRP manufacturing industry in Southern Interior British Columbia and Manitoba have recognized the importance of recycling FRP and have been participating in a study with the Composites Innovation Centre, Fibre Recovery Products and the National Research Centre – Industrial Research Assistance Program to look at the technical and business related feasibility of recycling FRP. Concerns from industry include: increasing landfill fees, the cost of transporting scrap material to landfill, potential that landfills may ban FRP waste, a valuable material is being thrown away, increased environmental consciousness and the marketing appeal of being ‘green’. Interest has also been shown from companies in the US wanting to recycle their scrap.

Government: There are several government agencies across Canada with an interest in reducing solid waste in landfills. As there is currently no system available to dispose of FRP scrap in an environmentally sound manner, it is believed that government will want to be more actively involved in providing a means to recycle this waste.

End Users and Recycling Organizations: Recycled FRP provides some unique material properties, and should appeal to existing recyclers and users of recycled material. It is believed that opportunities exist for economically feasible collection, processing and use of recycled FRP material. Equinox Industries, Winnipeg together with Fiber Recovery Products, Winnipeg are setting up a recycling facility to do just that. Their aim is to collect FRP scrap from the surrounding manufacturing industries, and to use in various products.

What end uses are there for Recycled FRP?

Several potential end uses have been identified through the course of this study. The following provides a summary of some of these:

• Shrinkage reduction in Concrete – recycled fibers have been shown to be highly effective at reducing shrinkage during cure, and so reducing the subsequent internal stresses, microcracking and plastic shrinkage cracking associated with this. By reducing these shrinkage problems it can increase the durability of the concrete, particularly in northern climates where freeze-thaw effects can worsen any cracks or internal stresses over time. Potential use is in concrete floors, pavements, sidewalks and curbs to replace Polypropylene (PP) fibers currently in widespread use. PP fibers typically retail for around $10-$15/kg, and it is expected that recycled fibers will be available for a lower price than this and still cover the cost of recycling. This is also a proven use in France, where up to 250 metric tonnes per year of recycled FRP were described as being sold into the concrete industry for this use.

• Lightweight, Insulative and Tough Concrete – by adding large quantities of fibers, it has been shown by Sandy Cove Marine Recyclers, Ontario to improve insulation properties, reduce density and increase toughness. A potential use for this is in green building products.

• Thermoplastic Filler – finely ground FRP can be integrated with thermoplastics to offset raw material costs, provide micro-reinforcement and potential processing benefits. This is also a proven use in Europe.

• Replacement of Wood Core in FRP Parts – wood cores in boats and spas are prone to degrading over time, and difficult to integrate. Replacing wood core with sprayed in place recycled FRP can provide benefits both economically and technically, as has been shown by Astoria Industries, Iowa. It also means that at the end of the product’s life, the recycled material is more valuable as it is made up of only fiberglass, and does not contain any secondary material that may degrade the properties.

• Interlaminar Additive for FRP Filament Winding – by spraying short recycled fibers in between filament wound layers, benefits to the strength of the filament wound part can be realized.

• FRP Resin Filler - for replacement of fillers such as calcium carbonate

• Asphalt - for crack reduction and increased resilient modulus

• Roofing Tar - for crack reduction

• Cast Polymer Countertops - for filler and aesthetics

• Recycled Tire Products - for increased stiffness and tear resistance

• Plastic Wood Products - for filler and micro-reinforcement

It should be noted that the end uses above have variable technical and economic risks associated, though are believed to be realistic end uses based on research carried out. The successful implementation of recycled FRP is also dependent on local industries interested in and able to use recycled FRP. For instance, rotomolded HDPE (high density polyethylene) has been identified as an excellent use of FRP in the Winnipeg region as there is a large HDPE industry base. Other jurisdictions may have a strong industry in another sector of that could provide enough volume for the economic use recycled FRP.