Airbus taking off with composites recycling roadmap

United States – Aircraft manufacturer Airbus has set up a advisory board to establish strategic objectives and a ‘roadmap’ for recycling and reusing composite materials.

The company says various research and technology projects for recycling carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites are either underway or planned at Airbus sites in partnership with external organisations. According to Airbus, these projects seek to examine and validate the techniques and industrialisation for recycling and reusing waste products from the CFRP manufacturing process – including both hard, cured wastes and softer, uncured materials.

The manufacturer’s target is to direct 95% of CFRP manufacturing process wastes through a recycling channel by 2025, with 5% of waste products recycled back into the aerospace sector. The development of a composite recycling advisory board is part of a commitment to a sustainable aviation future, Airbus claims – reducing environmental impact throughout the entire aircraft life cycle from design and manufacture to in-flight operations and end-of-life management.

For more information, visit: www.airbus.com