Sustainability engineering assessment research for recycling composites with high value: Stakeholders' views

Carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites are increasingly employed in an extensive range of applications, such as aerospace, automotive, or renewable energy. Consequently, the establishment of a composite recycling sector will become necessary in the future. The French national agency for research had funded a project named SEARRCH, which indicates Sustainability Engineering Assessment Research for Recycling Composites with High value to initiate stakeholders engagement for the implementation of the CFRP recycling sector in a sustainable way. This publication aimed at giving the results and the advantages of using a participatory research approach for the implementation of a recycling sector that follows the concept of sustainable development. This participatory research approach was conducted based on a panel of 40 stakeholders from different stages of the CFRP life cycle: CFRP producers, end-of-life management, institutional/normative, and research groups. A statistical quantitative analysis of 230 different criteria extracted from the interviews has demonstrated that quality, mastering recycling process, norms and regulations, and maturity of the recycling process are the most cited criteria by stakeholders. A qualitative analysis shown that, the future sustainable composites recycling sector would be utilised as a multiprocess sector that addresses a multiplicity of markets, requires the involvement of leaders and introduction of incentive tools and needs improvement regarding the maturity of recycling technologies to satisfy economic and environmental goals.