| GRP boats and end of life disposal | | | | described above? What are the barriers to |
| There is a lack of recorded information, resulting | | | | reusing this type of material'? The barriers to |
| in an unquantifiable problem of abandoned end of | | | | using this material, particularly old boats, is the |
| life boat hulls. There is insufficient waste legislation | | | | inability to deconstruct the product so the whole |
| to treat the problem. There is on the market, | | | | product is shredded/ground/hammermilled and the |
| boat disposal equipment for cutting up the hulls to | | | | material stream is less than pure. There are |
| make them more manageable. Hundreds of boats | | | | technical and economic barriers to reusing the |
| are disposed of daily in our shrinking landfills, taking | | | | material and a lack of markets for the product |
| up much more space than necessary. Brush | | | | and the end-products, also. For industrial scrap the |
| cutters at least reduce that problem. | | | | barrier is still technical in reapplying it. |
| FRP used for leisure boats is a composite of | | | | There was a facility in Ontario that was a product |
| around 80% liquid plastic resin (polyester, | | | | of the automotive industry. It was taking their |
| sometimes epoxy) dispersed through around 20% | | | | FRP scrap and making automotive parts. It has |
| thin fibre filaments, which can be woven to | | | | now, for economic reasons, shut its doors. Other |
| produce a thin mat of fibres. | | | | large FRP scrap producers continue to explore |
| Fillers (generally polyester) are used to extend the | | | | utilizing their own internal wastestream. |
| resin use. In boat building glass isthe most popular | | | | First, fibreglass composite waste will be tested as |
| fibre used as it does not absorb water (and | | | | a filler for nonstructural molding and casting epoxy |
| therefore swell and rot), has a high heat | | | | compounds. Second, the waste will be tested as a |
| resistance and does not burn. Two types of resin | | | | reinforcement in order to gain some structural |
| are used for FRP: thermoplastics,which can be | | | | properties when incorporated into an epoxy |
| melted down and remoulded, and thermosets | | | | molding compound for compression molded |
| which cannot be melted. Polyester and epoxy | | | | stringers. This compound will be formulated to |
| resins are thermosetting. | | | | meet density, strength, and other material |
| The problem with FRP is that the boat | | | | properties requirements. If polyester filled epoxy |
| construction industry is dominated more by | | | | is accepted in the boat industry, an unlimited |
| production convenience than best boat practice. In | | | | number of other markets (e.g., shower stalls, spas |
| particular, little consideration is given to what can | | | | and hot tubs, and outdoor furniture) will create |
| be maintained, modified or repaired conveniently | | | | significant value for these recycled materials. |
| and cheaply in later years. | | | | In Florida they have developed a new process to |
| FRP components are economical to produce, and | | | | totally grind the fiberglass boat and make a |
| this counts against reuse of existing items if they | | | | reusable fibreglass material. |
| require labour intensive inspection, cleaning, | | | | One company is attempting to use a ground |
| decontamination or repair. As people will invest in | | | | fibreglass fill material in its manufacture of |
| new boats rather than spend time and effort | | | | fibreglass ductwork for ventilation purposes. A |
| repairing existing ones, this will result in unwanted | | | | potential barrier in using an excess fill of fibreglass |
| boats, and moulds, that need to be disposed of. | | | | mixture is brittleness. |
| This trend is already evident in cars. | | | | Molded fiberglass, also known as fiber re-enforced |
| Anecdotal reports suggest a tendency towards | | | | polyester, recycling operations are mostly plant |
| abandoning boats when they are no longer | | | | specific. The variation in chemicals and additives |
| wanted. | | | | used from one FRP plant to the next make the |
| In some coastal states in the USA they use | | | | commingling of these streams potentially |
| "proprietary" fibreglass processing systems. This | | | | hazardous and impossible to recover. |
| process will yield a granulated fiberglass material | | | | A company called Resource Recycling, Inc. in |
| that can only sometimes be incorporated into | | | | Elkhart, Indiana were taking material from the |
| other products. | | | | manufactured housing and recreational vehicle |
| In Rhode Island, salvage law requires the owner | | | | industry (which is big in Elkhart) and processing the |
| to pay the bill on the spot. If he or she can't pay | | | | material. Their original plans to grind it for use as |
| the bill (which can be pretty steep when you're | | | | friction material and sound-deadening material did |
| pulling a boat off rocks), the salvager takes a first | | | | not work out as well as they had planned. They |
| line lien on the boat (aka no cash, no boat). | | | | have struggled (but seem to have turned things |
| Salvagers amass a big pile of boats, which have | | | | around) in getting the material accepted in |
| mostly ended up in landfills. | | | | overseas markets. How cost effective it would |
| What kind of manufacturing processes might be | | | | be to transport FRP to Indiana is questionable. |
| able to reuse a fiberglass material such as that | | | | |