Technology for the Glass Reinforced Pastics (GRP) separation and recovery from dismissed boat hulls

The program, co-ordinated by a national research centre in collaboration with an innovative private company, is aiming to design and set up a national system for the management of EoL-End of Life boats- (with a length between 10 and 24 meters) encompassing the best recovery treatments for the Glass Reinforced Plastics (GRP) arising from the dismissed boat hulls. The disposal of boats is a big environmental problem in Italy as the GRP (which represents around 60% of the boat weight) is currently disposed of in landfills or incinerated. Pollution, anyway is only a face of the medal, as the innovative treatments of the disposed of materials could generate profitable new markets with new promising business lines and good jobs in line with the well-know circular economy paradigm. Within the program, the national research body is looking for pilot (or still consolidated) technologies to recover energy and to produce new secondary raw materials from the disposed of fiberglass. Preliminary market analysis research has shown that the resins and the fiber-glasses extracted could be effectively reused in primary manufacturing processes. They offer cooperation agreements with bodies and companies interested in participating in the research program offering solutions as well as willing to act as partners in the development of a pilot treatment center in the Italian North East Adriatic coast. The new solutions required for the treatment of Glass Reinforced Plastics (GRP) includes the following technology areas: 1) mechanical recycling; 2) thermal recycling, including fluidized bed and pyrolysis; 3) chemical recycling and solvolysis using critical conditions.