As wind energy ramps up, recycling of composite wind blades at their end of life (EOL) – as well as composites and plastics recycling in general – continues to be a topic of concern.
More than 80% of a wind turbine itself is typically metallic and recyclable, but the increasingly long, high-performance composite blades pose more of a challenge.
Efforts include:
Near-term: Ramping up existing recycling methods like mechanical chopping up blades or repurposing entire blades for other uses
Medium-term: Developing more efficient methods such as chemical recycling (solvolysis) for reclaiming the original fibers from EOL blades for reuse
Long-term: Designing and manufacturing wind blades with sustainable/recyclable materials
Source: Moving toward next-generation wind blade recycling