End-of-Life Wind Turbine Blades to Degradable Agri- Material
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A circular solution for composite fibreglass plastic: transforming waste into sustainable agri-industrial materials
Research Project
Lab validated
Challenge
End-of-life wind turbines are projected to generate an additional 40-50 million tonnes of FRP waste by 2050. Current solutions only extend the life of the FRP material without providing a circular solution.
Solution
In partnership with PVC Separations’ proprietary FRP separation process, the Porous Materials Lab at UNSW has developed a novel approach to upcycle FRP waste into biodegradable carrier materials for controlled, sustained delivery of agri-chemicals.
Unlike conventional recycling methods, which downcycle FRP into cement, furniture or virgin composites, this technique enables true circularity by closing the loop on FRP waste, creating high-value applications while addressing environmental and sustainability challenges.
Target customers / end-users
• small and large-scale farming operations
• agri-chemical companies( which account for more than US $ 8b of the Australian agrichemical market).
Progress
• secured AU $ 150k funding with Pacific Blue and PVC Separations( Trailblazer +)
• separated FRP material – validated by UNSW and CSIRO
• field testing of transformed materials with industry partners in 2026-27.
TRL 3
Multidisciplinary team
Advanced Manufacturing, Materials & Design
This research closes the loop on fibreglass plastic( FRP) waste from end-of-life wind turbine blades, transforming their fibreglass waste into an innovative and high-value agricultural payload delivery material, and turning a global disposal challenge into a sustainable agri-opportunity.
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