Retired wind turbines routinely end up in the waste stream. Current efforts to divert the trash towards other uses include creating playground structures, or grinding the composite materials into pellets to reuse as aggregate in future composite structures.

Although creating play structures for kids is a noble and highly visible goal, there is a very limited market for that. Additionally, efforts must be made to ensure the safety concerns of the final structures; edge finishing, structural integrity, fiberglass shards, … These concerns are more acute when using these recycled materials for children to eat or play on.

A better solution to the wind turbine recycling lies between monolithic structures and microscopic pellets.

I propose the dissection of the wind turbine waste be more thought out in order to create building material component objects that are desirable, AND reach a wide market. Examples of repurposed composite shapes are: fencing material, roof shingles, siding, flooring, pavers, brackets, brackets, mudsills, raised planter beds, edging, weed barriers,...

Dissection of the turbine material can be performed onsite to facilitate compaction and transportation of the waste material. At the factory, more precise dicing of the waste material can be performed to create more uniform pieces for reuse.

Finally, any scrap material that cannot carved into a useful shape can be sent to the current recycling stream of grinding and pelletizing the composite materials.

Thank you for your consideration.

Lawrence Shing