REVALUE: Request for User Committee Members

04/03/2026
Request for partners

REVALUE: Creating value for glass fiber reinforced plastics 

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REVALUE

Context

Glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) will generate significant volumes of composite waste in Belgium in the coming years. These volumes are coming from composite structures like silos and marine vessels, but increasingly also from wind turbine blades. Despite their intrinsic recyclability, these streams are rarely processed through recycling pathways that maximally preserve their functional and mechanical properties. Hence, existing management practices remain largely linear, and effective mechanical recycling methods have yet to be widely implemented at an industrial scale. Furthermore, production offcuts and dry fiber waste constitute substantial resources that remain largely untapped. 

In this context, the Sirris, KULeuven (Composite Materials Group), and VITO (SPOT), with the support of the innovation cluster Catalisti (Chemistry and Plastics), are launching the collaborative COOCK+ project REVALUE under the VLAIO COOCK+ program (i.e., Collective R&D and Collective Knowledge Dissemination).

Goals

The objective of this COOCK+ project is to facilitate the industrial implementation of circular valorization routes by translating research outcomes from previous projects into practical applications across the value chain, thereby promoting industrial adoption. To achieve this, the project will:

  • Map the composition and quantities of GFRP waste streams from different applications (i.e., silos, marine vessels, and wind turbines) that will come on the market;
  • Analyze the barriers preventing large-scale recycling of GFRP, including material composition (structure, overall composition, expected contaminants, additives, …) and the impact of end-of-life (EoL) processing steps (composition, fiber length, process yield, complexity, value of end products, and scalability);
  • Identify and map potential circular pathways (including end markets for the recycled fibers) based on this improved understanding;
  • Develop generic material specifications and science-based guidelines for the design and processing of GFRP, including design-for-circularity principles;
  • Map relevant value chains and evaluate technology compatibility within Flanders (and to a certain extent other regions) in the form of a roadmap.

The final output will consist of decision-support guidelines and value chain configurations that enable companies to assess, select, and implement circular valorization routes for recycled composites.

Request

In this COOCK+ project, the consortium is seeking industrial partners to join the user committee, which is a steering board that will receive early access to project insights and developments. User committee members are expected to participate in approximately two meetings per year with the project partners.

The consortium welcomes companies that are facing challenges or demonstrating interest in the development of circular value chains for EoL GFRP (e.g., wind turbines, silos, or marine vessels). Relevant interests include:

  • Polymer & fiber producers

  • Manufacturers of GFRP-containing products

  • Decommissioning companies

  • Recyclers

  • Companies interested in recycled content from composites

  • Public stakeholders

  • Etc.

User committee members can present specific use cases, provide input on project activities, and be the first to access project results. Companies operating in the chemical or plastic sectors who wish to participate in this COOCK+ project are required to be or become a member of Catalisti.

How to reply to this request?

Briefly describe your interest in the project by completing this online form before 31st of March 2026. For additional information, please contact Martijn Roosen at mroosenatcatalisti.be (mroosen[at]catalisti[dot]be).

 

REVALUE
RFP