Taking the initiative

taking-the-initiative
taking-the-initiative

As well as throwing its full support behind The Composites Engineering Show with intelligence briefings and application forums, Composites UK is also promoting two important projects

for the sector regarding recycling and safety.


Working towards recycling

Composites UK is leading the project that will work towards development of a UK fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) recycling strategy and supporting infrastructure to enable FRP recycling to be carried out in a cost-effective and efficient manner. This will place the UK ahead of many other European and International countries and potentially provide technology exploitation opportunities. On a domestic level, the results of this project will improve the UK’s ability to respond in advance to predicted changes to EU and national environmental legislation on recycling of waste from FRP manufacturing and enable the industry to maintain a competitive edge. Increasing industry use FRP materials have found increased application in various sectors because of specific properties such as long-term durability, light weight and ability to be produced in complex shapes. The increase in their usage over the past decade has brought benefits in many areas. However, most FRPs are based on thermosetting resin matrices which are not easily recycled since they cannot be remelted and remoulded, unlike thermoplastic resins. Technology has been developed to address this issue and several methods have been proven to recycle thermoset-based FRP products. This research is fragmented however, and without national coordination will not develop into a viable commercial opportunity in the UK. According to a recent UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) supply chain study; there are around 1,500 companies in the UK involved in the FRP sector accounting for annual production revenue of £1.6 billion. Historically the UK had a leading position in FRPs, however several other nations have been targeting the sector and supporting development of capacity and new capabilities. The study highlighted that carbon fibre- and glass fibre-based materials constitute the greatest value in UK demand and supply of FRP components and structures. A significant growth in demand for carbon and glass fibre composites, particularly in wind and aero sectors, is predicted. The global FRP industry is becoming increasingly competitive. The UKTI study suggested that the UK is only likely to remain competitive by creating the conditions where companies can beneficially work together across sectors and supply chains to grasp the commercial opportunities provided by the increasing shift towards lightweight materials. One key element in this scenario is the issue of end of life. For FRP materials to compete with other lightweight alternatives and with cheaper products from overseas, clear and structured recycling routes to impart significant environmental benefits to our products must be identified through a UK FRP sustainability strategy and supporting infrastructure. The UK currently generates more than 400 million tonnes of waste per annum, most of which is sent to landfill. In recent years some progress has been made, but huge challenges remain and Britain’s record remains one of the worst within the EU-15 countries. The FuTMaN Project, subtitled ‘The future of manufacturing in Europe 2015-2020: the challenge for sustainable development’ undertaken for the European Commission, identified resource use and sustainability as a primary pressure that composites manufacturing will have to adapt to in all circumstances.

A growing concern Reliable figures for composite waste material volumes are extremely difficult to obtain, but it is estimated that the volume of GFRP manufacturing waste produced in the UK in 2009 was estimated at 22,750 tonnes and end of life waste was five times that amount. Around 3,000 tonnes of carbon fibre FRP scrap is generated annually in the USA and Europe. Since CFRP is a relatively new material, volumes of end of life waste remain fairly small and so it is presumed that the majority of the waste produced comes from manufacturing. Although GFRP production volumes are far greater than CFRP, more investment has gone into CFRP recycling. This is because the value of the fibre is an order of magnitude higher, and so an economically viable recycling process is easier to achieve. Nevertheless, several companies manufacturing GFRP products have invested in this area and solutions are also available for the material. The work will comprise four key elements: 1. Scoping study to determine the current situation and volumes of manufacturing waste produced
2. Development of a Composites Resource Efficiency Action Plan in collaboration with WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme)
3. Formation of a Composites Sustainability Partnership (CSP) to implement the plan
4. Development of business case for FRP recycling infrastructure in the UK Identifying solutions The initial step towards developing a UK strategy for FRP recycling is to gain accurate figures on quantities of waste currently produced, future potential volumes based on predicted production growth, identify high density locations in the UK and utilise this information to formulate a UK strategy to develop an infrastructure to support commercially viable FRP recycling. Research on recycling and current technology developments is well documented in various Materials KTN reports and this will be used to gain a better understanding of which techniques could prove cost-viable for commercial exploitation. Life cycle assessment information for each recycling process should also be investigated. The project consists of a full review of the disposal and recycling supply chain for thermoset composite waste generated from UK FRP manufacturing. Two key outputs from the work will be an online tool for companies to enter and manage their own waste data and a comprehensive report summarising the findings of the study. The project will also involve a comprehensive review of the situation across Europe and a review of practice in other countries. It is proposed to form a Composites UK working group (core members of the CSP) to oversee and advise on the project. This will ensure that meaningful data is gathered and analysis is accurate. This working group will comprise key stakeholders from across the supply chain in order to maintain impartiality and ensure the project maintains a clear unbiased focus. It is imperative that we gain an accurate understanding of the current and potential future size of the waste GFRP market. Then the UK will have the foundations on which to build a reliable case for recycling of GFRP waste into a commercially viable waste stream. The danger of not acting now is either that the waste volume becomes so large that the industry is forced into a particular route through legislation and we lose the initiative to make real efforts at sustainability, or the market for UK produced GFRP declines though order placement overseas and many UK SME’s go out of business. To get involved with the work contact Dr Sue Halliwell at Composites UK on info@compositesuk.co.uk or Tel: 01246 266245


SIMPL steps towards safety

Composites UK is also keen to impress upon its members and the wider industry of the Safety in Manufacturing Plastics, or SIMPL Strategy, which aims to build on good practice within the industry and establish a positive health and safety culture within individual businesses. This strategy is targeted at the plastics industry and encompasses all polymer composites. The strategy will be achieved through a series of defined targets to drive improvement as well as measure performance with an overall aim of reducing accidents, ill health, and lost time as well as improve the industry’s safety performance.

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE), together with Composites UK, fellow industry trade associations and other representatives from the plastics industry, have developed the four year strategy, running from 2011 to 2014, to be appropriate for the needs and challenges of the industry, providing leadership to participating organisations. The SIMPL initiative is aligned along five strategic objectives:
1. Leadership: This should be visible and involve the CEO
2. Management system: Commensurate with the size and complexity of the company, and organised along the principles of plan, implement, monitor and review
3. Workforce involvement: Encourage the active engagement of the workforce
4. Risk reduction: Action plans for prioritisation, delivery and monitoring
5. Accident reduction: Establish baseline statistics and define year on year reduction targets In recent years the approach to H&S has changed from one of prescription, which was clear and unambiguous, to a risk-based approach that has placed responsibility for decisions on management. Those willing to commit to the SIMPL objective can sign the ‘Composites Sector Health and Safety Pledge’, which defines targets against which both companies and sectors can measure performance. It also details the considerable support required from all parties to achieve the targets.
The pledge is summarised as: ‘Working towards a major improvement in the health and safety performance of the Composites industry, reducing the number of working days lost from work related injury and ill health by 30% by 2020’.
The cornerstone of its success will be individual company action plans, and according to Composites UK: ‘the programme is a real opportunity and one which places actions on employers, trade associations, trade unions and the HSE representing a significant shift of emphasis - one directed very much more to continuous improvement and not just compliance and as such changes in attitude and tangible improvements will be needed’. Further details of the initiative as well as the Composites Sector H&S Pledge can be found on the Composites UK website: www.compositesuk.co.uk/Information/HealthSafety.aspx www.compositesuk.co.uk
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