On September 1st a new and ambitious project started for HP Composites: CIRCE "Circular Economy Model for Carbon Fiber Prepregs".
CIRCE is a project, co-financed by the European Union under the LIFE program (LIFE ENV / IT / 000155), which sees HP Composites at the forefront of the role of coordinator beneficiary. The project will be developed together with the collaboration of 3 industrial partners (Alci, Base Protection, Petroceramics) and a research center (CETMA).
CIRCE will last three years (09/01/2019 - 08/31/2022) with the ambition of creating a circular economy model for untreated carbon fiber prepregs waste. The ultimate goal is the 100% enhancement of this industrial waste, to transform it into a precious raw material that can be used in new applications.
The use of composite materials is growing more and more in many application sectors, such as, for example, in the transport sector where it allows lighter and more fuel-efficient vehicles to be built. The new materials are considered strategic for European growth and development. However, these new materials are still difficult to recycle, hence the risk of creating a new generation of landfill products. CIRCE aims to give a concrete and efficient response to this new environmental problem. The main challenge will be to develop a new economy model, in which more and more waste is reconverted into useful raw materials.
For HP, the launch of this European project represents a compelling opportunity that will lead to better management of natural resources and waste, contributing simultaneously to the development of the local territory. Thus began a new and ambitious challenge for HP Composites which has always made innovation one of its greatest strengths