Recycling/End of Life for Carbon Fibre?

[john12]

Hi,

I'm a pretty avid cyclist and lots of my cycle buddies love their carbon fibre frames and parts, but this got me thinking about what happens at the end of its life.

As far as I know, carbon fibre isn't biodegradable or easily recyclable... so if your bike breaks (or you scrap your car with its lovely carbon fibre trim) what happens to it? Does it mostly just go to landfill?

I've Googled a few stories but most of them seem to basically be marketing bumf by Carbon Fibre companies.

I know these materials are great when in use, but I think we all have to take a little responsibility for what happens to our possessions after we get rid of them. I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this wonder material!?

 

[john12]

Hmmm, so basically all of those methods don't sound ideal.

I suppose it's hard for materials scientists because on one hand you want to develop something new, exciting and useful but then lots probably don't consider the negative aspects of their work. Take plastics for instance - they are a wonder material, that has totally revolutionised our world... but they're also an ecological disaster.

 

[MSHOfficial]

I think you need to first fully develop the material before you start thinking what to do with it after you are done using it.

Firstly, because if a material is under development, you don’t fully know its properties and everytime you change something in the component of a structure you would need to change the whole process of recycling it.

Sometimes, even using different epoxies makes the structure non recyclable. So first things first, develop the material to a point where its universally used. And then find methods to recycle it when you are done using it.

Its just my humble opinion and I know probably most of the people disagree with me. But well, this is what I think.

 

[john12]

Yeah, definitely. These materials are definitely a net-positive, I think... but we just need to think of a way of building the cost of disposal into them.

I think that this should go for all products really. Would people upgrade their phone every single year if the cost actually included proper recycling or disposal?

 

[GoodCat]

I think only in some countries it will be disposed of properly. Most countries will simply increase the cost of goods for consumers and still continue to bury it in the ground.
People 2,000 years ago burned pots and erected cities, now archiologists dig it out and make conclusions about people's lives in the past. What do you think, what the descendants will think about us when they dig it all out = (

 

[john12]

I guess the difference is that the pots were made from clay/earth. They didn't leach dangerous chemicals into the ground and enter to food system by being eaten by all of the animals that we depend on for food!

 

[john12]

Yeah, I agree... but that still needs paying for somehow. I just think that it should be paid for by the direct purchaser, not by some random government disposal scheme (in rich countries) or the poor health of people living near dumps (in poor countries), or the overall health of our global environment (in the case of emissions created during production).

 

[john12]

I'd rather have 'negative product acceptance' - eg. it never gets bought in the first place, than have millions of useless items just sat in landfill. Something like this might help people and companies consider their products more carefully.

Anyway, just an idea, I doubt it will ever happen. I do totally see your point about government funded schemes too, and also... I'm a Product Designer - I can hardly preach as I'm often the one designing all of this crap that just gets chucked away!