Partnering with ubloquity, Plaswire transforms wind turbine blades into fully traceable, low-carbon materials, preventing 100,000 tonnes of CO2 per year
Northern Ireland based Plaswire, a leader in recycling solutions, has announced a groundbreaking initiative that uses blockchain, IoT and AI technology to revolutionise the recycling of wind turbine blades, unlocking a seismic opportunity for other sectors, including aerospace.
Partnering with digital trade specialist company ubloquity, the new system sets a new global standard for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance, delivering transparent and granular traceability for Plaswire’s RX polymer – a recycled composite material derived from decommissioned wind turbine blades. This marks the world’s first application of blockchain to track and verify recycled polymers throughout the entire lifecycle, from blade collection to reuse.
Andrew Billingsley, CEO of Plaswire, explains:
"By 2035, millions of wind turbine blades installed in the 2000s and 2010s will reach the end of their 20–30 year lifespan, creating millions of tonnes of composite waste. Europe alone is expected to generate around 350,000 tonnes of end-of-life blades by 2030 – this presents both a significant challenge and opportunity for sustainable recycling and circular economy solutions, such as those pioneered by Plaswire.
“This collaboration with ubloquity marks a major step forward for the recycling of wind turbine blades. For the first time, we can provide complete transparency on the journey of every kilogram of our RX polymer, from its origin in decommissioned wind turbine blades to its next life in new products – all in real-time. That level of traceability is transformative for industries under increasing pressure to cut their environmental impact and achieve ambitious sustainability goals. We are particularly excited about the opportunities this creates for the aerospace and defence sectors where the highest levels of traceability and transparency are not just desired; they are essential.”
Working with the major global wind developers, Plaswire fully recycles wind turbine blades into durable RX polymer, which is then used for construction, packaging, logistics parts and furniture. With this new blockchain solution added to the process, the company offers its extended customer base a fully traceable, sustainable solution supporting the principles of the circular economy.
Rick Atherton, Technical Project Manager at ubloquity, added:
"Trust and transparency are essential if recycled materials are to be widely adopted. By implementing our digital product passport (DPP) and combining Plaswire’s processing and shop floor recycling data, we can demonstrate exactly where their polymer originates and how it is reused. This gives industries the confidence to choose recycled composites over virgin materials and helps them deliver on their sustainability commitments."
Plaswire believes this solution could extend beyond the energy sector, particularly into aerospace, where thousands of aircraft are expected to be retired over the next decade, producing significant volumes of composite waste. The company estimates that its new system could cut carbon emissions by 2.7 tonnes of CO₂ for every ton of material processed, significantly driving a circular economy.
Dr Leslie Orr, Director of ADS Northern Ireland said:
“Net Zero carbon is a key goal for the aerospace industry. It is great to see two Northern Ireland companies working together addressing a global issue. This recycling tracking solution from Plaswire and ubloquity is an innovative contribution to our industry, to recycling and to the environmental protection of our planet.”
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