Wind turbine blade recycling

Abstract

Generally described, the methods disclosed herein for recycling fiber composite source objects, such as wind turbine blades, include converting a whole wind turbine blade to an output material state that is useful for manufacturing other products, such as those used in construction of buildings, packaging, raw materials, and pellets, among other products. The recycling process is performed while tracking the progress and location of each wind turbine blade such that the direct source of the output material may be determined. In some embodiments, the method includes sectioning the wind turbine blades, crushing the wind turbine blade sections, tracking the progress of each blade through the process, and loading output materials into a suitable transportation vessel. Correlating each wind turbine blade to a quantity of output material provides several advantages, including various certifications of the material for uses with restricted or otherwise controlled products and materials, cost savings, and other advantages.