Assessing the Recycling “Advantage”

While FRP can be recycled¹, it is not usually economically feasible currently. However, in most of the applications studied to date, production of virgin FRP parts actually consumes less energy and produces less greenhouse effect than recycling of steel and aluminum. For instance:

A study² comparing the energetic values (exergy) of various material options for construction of a pedestrian bridge yielded these results:

Material	% Recycled Material	Consumed energy and energetic material value (MJ/kg)
Structural Steel	0%	46
Structural Steel	100%	36
Stainless Steel	0%	69
Stainless Steel	100%	54
Composites	0%	33
Aluminum	0%	137
Aluminum	100%	45

A Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) study³ of steel, aluminum and FRP composites in a number of applications also indicated a clear advantage in energy usage for composites over recycled steel, and from near parity to clear advantage over recycled aluminum⁴:

Materials (% recycle)

Relative energy requirements per application
Grating	Handrail	Channel	Plate

Aluminum(0)

100

Aluminum(100)⁵

~17

~12

Steel(0)

100

17.5

Steel(100)⁶

~33

~57

~75

~13

Composites(0)

¹ Plasti-Fab Recycles and Reuses Fiberglass in Composites Manufacturing. Composites Week, No. 14, Vol. 12, April 5, 2010.

² Daniel, Ryszard A., Environmental Considerations to Structural Material Selection for a Bridge. European Bridge Engineering Conference, Rotterdam, March 2003.

³ Jakubcin, Gary – LCACP. A Life Cycle Assessment Approach in Examining Composite Raw Materials, Steel and Aluminum Materials Used in the Manufacturing of Structural Components. Report prepared for Strongwell, Inc., June 19,2009.

⁴ The LCI did not include energy required for the pultrusion of composite material (small), the re-melting, rolling and fabrication of recycled aluminum ingots (large) nor the shaping and cutting of recycled steel plate for required parts (moderate). In general, including all energy required for each material is believed to further favor composites.

⁵ Data for 100% recycle aluminum extrapolated from that for 0%, 50% and 80% cited in the report(3).

⁶ Calculated as 75% of energy required for steel production cited in the report(³).