Gjenkraft, Owens Corning bolster use of post-industrial fiberglass waste – CompositesWorld

Report on Strategic Partnership for Composite Waste Recycling and Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Introduction

A letter of intent (LOI) has been signed between Gjenkraft AS of Høyanger, Norway, and Owens Corning of Toledo, Ohio, U.S., to establish a strategic collaboration. The partnership is focused on developing scalable circular economy solutions for post-industrial composite waste, directly contributing to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

2.0 Initiative Overview and Contribution to SDGs

The core objective of this initiative is to create a closed-loop system for glass fiber materials. This directly supports the principles of sustainable industrialization and responsible production as outlined in the SDGs. The process involves:

1. Utilizing Gjenkraft’s advanced thermolysis-based recycling process to recover materials from composite waste.
2. Integrating the resulting recycled glass fibers (rGF) back into Owens Corning’s manufacturing stream for new glass fiber products.
3. Converting industrial waste into high-quality secondary raw materials, thereby reintroducing them into the value chain.

3.0 Alignment with Key Sustainable Development Goals

This collaboration significantly advances progress toward multiple SDGs through its innovative approach to industrial waste management and resource efficiency.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The initiative is a prime example of achieving sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. By converting waste into a resource, it promotes a circular economy, substantially reduces waste generation through recycling, and closes the material loop for composites.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The partnership fosters innovation by applying advanced recycling technology to an industrial challenge. It promotes clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, contributing to the upgrade of infrastructure for sustainable and resilient manufacturing.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: A stated goal of the collaboration is to lower carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. By reducing reliance on virgin materials and diverting waste from landfills, the process inherently lessens the environmental footprint and supports climate change mitigation efforts.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: By creating a viable alternative to landfilling composite waste, the project contributes to more sustainable waste management systems, a critical component of sustainable communities.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The collaboration between Gjenkraft AS and Owens Corning exemplifies a multi-stakeholder partnership that mobilizes and shares knowledge, technology, and financial resources to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in the industrial sector.

4.0 Projected Impacts and Future Developments

The partnership aims to demonstrate the viability of a truly circular approach for composite materials. According to Dr. Chris Skinner, Vice President of Strategic Marketing and R&D for Owens Corning’s Glass Reinforcements business, this collaboration is a critical step in reducing the company’s environmental footprint. For Gjenkraft, the project provides an opportunity to validate its thermolysis technology, supported by funding for the construction of a commercial recycling facility.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
   • The article discusses the development and application of an “advanced recycling technology” (thermolysis-based process) and the construction of a “commercial recycling plant.” This directly relates to building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation. The collaboration aims to innovate within the composites industry to make it more sustainable.
2. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
   • This is a central theme of the article. The initiative’s goal is to create “scalable circular economy solutions” and “close the loop for glass fiber materials.” This involves recycling “post-industrial composite waste” and reintroducing it into the value chain, which directly addresses the need for sustainable consumption and production patterns by reducing waste and promoting recycling and reuse.
3. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • The article explicitly states that a key objective of the collaboration is to “lower CO₂ emissions.” By recycling materials, the process reduces the energy-intensive production of new glass fibers from raw materials, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation.
4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The entire initiative is based on a partnership between two private companies, Gjenkraft AS and Owens Corning. The article highlights that they have “signed a letter of intent (LOI)” to work together. This collaboration is a clear example of a private-private partnership aimed at achieving sustainable development goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes.
   • The article describes the adoption of Gjenkraft’s “thermolysis-based process” to recycle glass fibers. This is a clean technology designed to retrofit the glass fiber production industry, making it more sustainable and resource-efficient by reusing waste materials.
2. Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
   • The project’s aim to convert “composite waste into high-quality secondary raw materials” for new products is a direct effort to improve the efficient use of natural resources by reducing the need for virgin materials in manufacturing.
3. Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.
   • The core purpose of the initiative is to “reduce landfill waste” by implementing a recycling process for “post-industrial composite waste.” This directly aligns with the goal of reducing waste generation through recycling and reuse.
4. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
   • The collaboration between Gjenkraft AS and Owens Corning is a private-private partnership formed specifically to develop and scale sustainable solutions, demonstrating the principle of this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Reduction in CO₂ emissions (related to Indicator 9.4.1: CO₂ emission per unit of value added)
   • The article explicitly mentions the goal to “lower CO₂ emissions.” Progress can be measured by quantifying the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions achieved by using recycled glass fibers compared to producing new ones from raw materials.
2. Amount of waste recycled (related to Indicator 12.5.1: National recycling rate, tons of material recycled)
   • The initiative aims to “reduce landfill waste” by recycling composite materials. An implied indicator of success would be the volume or tonnage of composite waste that is successfully processed by the “commercial recycling plant” and diverted from landfills.

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: compositesworld.com