White paper: Socio-economic analysis of recycled carbon fiber use
Behind the numbers: what carbon fibre recycling really means for Europe
Based on input from stakeholders across industry, research and policy, this report isn’t just another collection of charts and technical terms. It highlights something we rarely talk about what happens when you take waste carbon fibre from old wind turbine blades, car parts, or aircraft offcuts and turn it back into something useful.
We asked ourselves a few simple questions:
- • Does recycling carbon fibre create jobs?
- • Can it help Europe rely less on imported materials?
- • And most importantly, would anyone trust a product made from recycled fibres?
The answers surprised us in a good way.
Indeed, it creates real jobs. By 2040, scaled-up recycling could support around 850–900 skilled jobs across Europe, from plant operators to quality engineers.
Additionally, it reduces import dependence. The EU currently imports about 13,000 tonnes of carbon fibre materials each year, while it generates over 120,000 tonnes of CFRP waste. Recovering just a fraction of that waste could cover all current imports.
And the most promising is that people are open to it, but on their terms. Surveys show that buyers and industry insiders don’t reject recycled carbon fibre out of hand. They just want proof: clear standards, test reports, and safety guarantees. Once that’s in place, acceptance climbs to 70–90% for many applications.
This report walks you through the evidence. Just a realistic view of where carbon fibre recycling stands today, where it can go, and what needs to happen to get there.
You can read the full report here.
R6 Strategy White Paper
The EuReComp R6 Strategy White Paper presents key insights into the current status, challenges, and opportunities for improving the circularity of large fibre-reinforced composite components. Based on a stakeholder survey across the composite value chain, the report analyzes technical, market, regulatory, and workforce aspects influencing the transition toward sustainable end-of-life management of composite materials.
The document introduces the R6 circularity framework, which prioritizes the six strategies Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose, and Recycling with the aim to retain the highest possible value of composite materials throughout their lifecycle. The findings highlight growing demand for recycled composites, existing infrastructure and skills gaps, and the need for harmonized regulations, digital product passports, and stronger collaboration across industry and policy stakeholder.