Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or of the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Project Name: De & Remanufacturing for Circular Economy Investments in the Composite Industry
Duration: December 2022 – November 2025
Total budget: 12 603 930.83
EU contribution: 8 822 751.58
Call: I3-2021-INV1
Topic: I3-2021-INV1-MANU
Internal Contacts
Eda Ipek – eda.ipek@afil.it
Carlo Mondani – carlo.mondani@afil.it
Website
DeremCo
Project objectives
DeremCo is a project co-funded by the European Union that addresses the challenge of managing post-use composite materials – Glass Fibre-Reinforced Polymers (GFRP) and Carbon Fibre-Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) – which are widely used in strategic sectors but are difficult to recycle sustainably. The project responds to the growing volume of composite waste and the need to overcome the limitations of traditional recycling models. DeremCo adopts a demand-driven approach, where end-product requirements guide the recovery and reprocessing of End-of-Life composites, with the aim of obtaining high-quality secondary materials that are competitive with and can substitute virgin raw materials in new high value-added products. With 14 pilots and 16 projects funded through Cascade Funding, the project demonstrates the technical, economic, and environmental sustainability of circular models that are scalable and replicable at the European level.
DeremCo develops and validates two process chains. The first, based on mechanical demanufacturing and hybrid reprocessing, is mainly applied to end-of-life wind turbine blades and enables the production of secondary materials, significantly reducing the use of virgin fibres and resins and achieving recycled material content of up to 90%. The second is based on thermo-chemical demanufacturing and textile reprocessing, which enable the recovery of high-performance fibres through pyrolysis and advanced treatments, and their reintegration into new products with up to 50% recycled fibre content, while maintaining performance comparable to virgin materials.
The role of AFIL
AFIL is responsible for the dissemination and communication of the project results and Cascade Funding initiatives, with the aim of maximizing DeremCo’s industrial impact, ensuring alignment with European policies, and enhancing the competitiveness and integration of the regional ecosystem. It also supports the development and replicability of new circular value chains.
Opportunities for AFIL Members
DeremCo offers AFIL Members concrete opportunities to access technological innovations, business models, and new value chains related to the circular economy of composites. Companies can benefit from high-TRL results, participate in networking and knowledge-sharing initiatives, and assess the adoption of solutions for material recovery and reuse, including within their own processes. The Open Calls dedicated to SMEs have also provided a direct instrument to develop innovative projects and test new industrial applications.