These are the European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA), wind energy group WindEurope, the European Cement Association, the European Boat Industry, The UPR/VE Resin Association, Epoxy Europe and Glass Fibre Europe.
The aim of the paper is for policymakers to recognise the benefits of the process and help upscale it, they say.
“The European Commission and the national authorities should recognise cement co-processing as a recycling process to allow the EU to foster industry growth and ensure a circular future for both the cement and composite material sectors,” a press release said.
Recycling end-of-life composite materials is technically challenging due to the difficulty of separating the fibers and polymers, but cement co-processing makes it possible to process them with separation and reduce the amount of raw materials required to make cement.
“Cement co-processing offers a sustainable, circular solution for end-of-life glass fibre reinforced composite materials and it supports the decarbonisation of the European construction market,” said Professor Roberto Frassine, president of EuCIA.
The paper can be accessed here (pdf).
