Composite Recycling and Owens Corning have formed a strategic partnership to scale up circular economy solutions for glass-fiber composites. The collaboration aims to integrate recycled glass fibers into Owens Corning’s products, reduce landfill waste, and promote sustainable manufacturing. The initiative includes technical trials and plans for full-scale industrial implementation.
Composite Recycling, a sustainability-focused company based in Ecublens, Switzerland, has entered into a strategic partnership with Owens Corning’s glass reinforcements division to address the growing issue of composite waste. This collaboration is aimed at developing industrial-scale circular economy solutions by integrating reclaimed glass fibers from Composite Recycling’s innovative recycling process into Owens Corning’s existing production lines for glass reinforcements.
Composite materials—often composed of glass or carbon fibers embedded in resins like epoxy or polyester—are notoriously difficult to recycle. As a result, they often end up in landfills. Industries such as wind energy and aviation alone are forecasted to generate around 840,000 tons of composite waste annually by 2050. The new partnership between Composite Recycling and Owens Corning represents a significant step toward reducing this environmental burden through scalable, efficient recycling methods.
The collaboration is centered around three main goals:
1. Optimizing Material Integration: The two companies will co-develop methodologies to effectively incorporate reclaimed glass fibers into Owens Corning’s production systems. These recycled materials will be used across several sectors, including automotive, marine, transportation, aerospace, and construction, while maintaining high performance and quality standards.
2. Scaling Recycling Technologies: Owens Corning will support Composite Recycling in scaling its advanced recycling technologies to an industrial level. This effort aims to make composite recycling more efficient and economically viable, addressing long-standing challenges in the industry.
3. Enabling Circular Solutions: The partners aim to create full-lifecycle solutions for composite materials. This will involve the implementation of circular economy systems that extend the useful life of materials and reduce reliance on virgin resources.
According to Dr. Chris Skinner, Vice President of Strategic Marketing and R&D at Owens Corning’s glass reinforcements business, “We’re committed to reducing our environmental impact, and this collaboration brings us one step closer to that goal.” He emphasized that incorporating recycled glass fibers into materials used in automotive parts, construction materials, and insulation demonstrates the practical benefits of circularity in manufacturing.
Customers of Owens Corning’s glass reinforcements products will soon gain access to offerings containing reclaimed content, supporting their own sustainability targets. “The shift toward recycled content is no longer a trend — it’s a necessity,” Dr. Skinner added. The collaboration will also involve technical trials and compliance assessments to ensure feasibility and alignment with industry standards.
Both companies have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to move forward with the partnership, with plans to finalize a formal agreement within the next year. They will also explore additional applications for recycled composite materials within Owens Corning’s diverse product portfolio, setting a new industry benchmark for recycling and resource efficiency.
