Wind turbine blades could account for more than 43 million tons of waste each year by 2050
03/06/2023 / By Arsenio Toledo
It is estimated that by 2050, wind turbine blades could account for more than 43 million tons of waste annually.
Around 85 percent of a typical modern wind turbine can be recycled. The majority of a wind turbine’s body is made mainly of metal which can easily be broken down and recycled into other goods. The notable exception to this is the wind turbine’s blades, which last around 20 to 25 years before they need to be replaced.
Wind turbine blades are made to continuously spin for 20 to 25 years, sometimes in inclement weather conditions. Their manufacturing makes them exceptionally durable and also extremely difficult to recycle.
Jonathan Naughton, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Wyoming and director of the Wind Energy Research Center, noted that wind turbine blades are made of composites containing various high-strength fibers set into a resin matrix that binds them all together.
https://www.climate.news/2023-03-06-wind-turbine-blades-account-millions-tons-waste.html#
