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C7 composites was founded to share the passion of composite materials, but not closing our eyes on the current challenges they come with.
C7 composites was founded to share the passion of composite materials, but not closing our eyes on the current challenges they come with.
Recyclability of composite materials, especially thermoset composites is a challenge that needs to be tackled to create a sustainable world to live in.
C7 composites inc. is developing new methods to keep used composite parts away from landfills where they would last for decades and centuries. Working in collaboration with sporting goods industry players, but also construction companies, art companies, our goal is to reuse these materials in applications that requires extremely long life spans.
LOW-TECH RECYCLING
While a lot of people are talking about composites recycling, mostly thanks to thermochemical reactions, at C7 composites we want to take the low-tech route.
WHY GOING LOW-TECH?
Three main reasons :
-Being low tech, means that it won't cost much to run the recycling process, as it doesn't involve heat, chemicals, filtering... Therefore, the recycled products getting out of the production line are indeed costing less than new materials. Currently on the existing market, it is not always the case, which doesn't incite people to be using recycled composite materials.
-Scalability. Research in recycling composite materials is still on-going, while the usage of composites in products is growing exponentially. This means that we need to have recycling capabilities that can be scaled up quickly. By going low-tech, it means that most of the equipment needed to perform the recycling tasks is already developped, industrialized and has a maintenance program already planned.
- Buy Research some time. While people can find arguments that going low-tech doesn't bring much value to the original constituants, it still has the benefit of buying the Research some time. Going low-tech allows at least to keep the composites products out of landfills, meanwhile research can develop and scale up new processes that will be able to optimize the value of the original consituants of composites.
Want to learn how we can partner together? Have a look at how we do partner with Argon 18 bikes to get their obsolete composite parts a second life! Learn more ...
How about reading the Life Cycle Analysis perfromed at the University of British Columbia on one of our panels? It's right here ...
At C7 composites, we want to be as involved as possible into fighting climate change.
We know that our industry is generating carbon emissions, and the recycling processes, from logisitics to actual transformation from waste to finished products are not different.
Starting in 2022, we are calculating our carbon emissions for all of our main operations and transportation, and give back to the One Tree Planted organisation to compensate them by planting trees where trees are needed.
We know this is not the only solution, and our goal is to limit our emissions first, be as carbon-neutral as possible soon, and hopefully carbon-negative in the near future.
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