To help meet the challenges posed by recent European Union waste directives on landfilling, end-of-life vehicles and electrical and electronic equipment, EU-based fibre-reinforced composites manufacturers have turned their recycling initiative into a corporate enterprise under the name European Composites Recycling Concept (ECRC), with headquarters at Brussels. According to new EU rules to take effect in most member countries in 2005, composite waste may no longer be landfilled. Composites also are affected by the other two directives.

The new company, founded by composites manufacturers DSM (www.dsm.com), Johns Manville (www.jm.com), Lonza (www.lonza.com), Menzolit-Fibron (www.menzolit-fibron.de), Owens-Corning (www.owenscorning.com), Reichhold (www.reichhold.com) and Vetrotex (www.vetrotexeurope.com), along with the European Composites Industry Association EuCIA (www.eucia.org), will seek to establish a network for recycling composite parts, including logistics. It also will implement performance criteria for certified recycling centres, organise and finance research into new recycling technologies and attempt to develop new recycling markets. Its “green label” insignia will guarantee OEMs that parts bearing the label meets all the requirements of the waste management concept.