University of Strathclyde and Cubis Systems Limited KTP 24_25 R3

Every year, thousands of tonnes of glass fibre wind up in landfill because the plastic resin binding it together makes the material nearly impossible to recycle. This project embeds a new chemical process that breaks down that resin, freeing the glass fibres so they can be reused to make new Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP). GRP is everywhere—in wind turbine blades, boat hulls, car panels, and construction cladding—because it is strong, light, and cheap. But its very durability becomes a problem at end of life: no existing recycling method recovers the glass fibre at a quality high enough for remanufacturing. The waste stream is growing fast, and most of it is currently incinerated or buried. If the process works at scale, it would close the loop on GRP manufacturing. Manufacturers could buy back recycled glass fibre at a lower cost than virgin material, while avoiding landfill taxes and meeting tightening environmental regulations. The project is applied and commercial—a Knowledge Transfer Partnership between the University of Strathclyde and Cubis Systems—so success means a viable business model, not just a lab demonstration. The impact would be felt quietly but widely, in the supply chains that build and maintain the physical infrastructure of modern life.