Big picture
Here’s one that was recycled… The Brazilian-owned Mar Sem Fim was capsized in hurricane force winds in Ardley Cove, Antarctica in 2012 (the four crew were saved by the Chilean Navy). The boat took on water which later froze, splitting the vessel as it did so. The wreck was trapped in ice that winter before sinking in 40ft of water. But she was salvaged in 2013 and later cut up for scrap
Boats to bridges
‘See first that the design is wise and just; that ascertained, pursue it resolutely’ – William Shakespeare Sustainable development is traditionally defined as something that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future. Using innovative thinking to advance sustainable practices is core to The Schmidt Family Foundation’s 11th Hour Racing programme. One area in which the programme is now involved is the delicate but still largely overlooked issue of the disposal of obsolete leisure craft…
OR HOW THAT SLEEK RACER/CRUISER MAY END ITS DAYS AS CEMENT… – Evan Ridley and Dennis Nixon Space is a precious commodity at the Rhode Island State central landfill: in 2038 the 1,040-acre site will stop accepting new material. The looming deadline has made one waste problem more complex: what to do with old fibreglass hulls? The steady accumulation of end-of-life vessels in coastal
communities across the United States and Europe has sparked discussion around a variety of intertwined environmental and economic issues. Currently, the most common destination for these ageing craft is the landfill or worse: abandoned in backyards, boat- yards or local waterways. Landfill managers typically use a simple mechanical process to cut and crush the glassfibre mat, polyester resins and ancillary material, subsequently compressing and burying remains within the greater mixture of municipal solid waste. Based on the established estimates of national end-of-life vessel
populations, these traditional processes are already burying millions of metric tons of fibreglass around the world each year. This practice is a mistreatment of usable composite material and is environmen- tally perilous waste management. Between 2003 and 2012 it is estimated that two million
recreational craft (an average of 210,000 per year) were retired in the United States, according to surveys by the National Marine Manufacturers Association. Similar approximation has not been established in the European Union; however, leading members of the European boating industry suggest that coastal nations in the EU retire between 6,000 and 9,000 recreational vessels annually. The size of a globally expanding legacy fleet of expired recreational
46 SEAHORSE
boats has reached a critical point. This calls for a reinvention of disposal practices. For example, in 2015 the Rhode Island landfill accepted 60 boats to be scrapped. This group of 60 constitutes only 8.5 per cent of the estimated 700 fibreglass vessels retired from registration in the state that year. The Ocean State finds itself in a position to be a leader in the reinvention of fibreglass disposal. The recycling and reuse of fibreglass has long been viewed as
unmanageable. Now new advances in chemical engineering have made sustainable composite materials a feasible goal. Fibreglass is a suitable candidate for repurposing thanks in part to its chemical composition and high production value. Activity in Germany over the last 10 years has shown fibreglass to have significant potential as an alternative fuel for cement production in industrial kilns. Coal and petroleum products typically generate the thermal
energy required to heat industrial kilns, affecting worldwide cement production with fluctuating (usually increasing) prices, limited avail- ability and escalating environmental concern. In response to these challenges cement manufacturers are
experimenting with alternative fuels derived from waste sources. The value of these alternative fuels lies in their ability to mimic the thermal and chemical qualities of traditional fossil fuels when incor- porated in the kiln. The composition of vessel-derived fibreglass waste contains the combined equivalent qualities of coal, limestone, sand and alumina. These substitutive properties ensure that all elements of recovered fibreglass are utilised, leaving no residuals behind. Thus fewer fossil fuel and raw materials are used and total emissions are reduced. This is an economically exciting opportunity compared to other composite recycling processes including ‘waste- to-energy’ incineration, which generates significant byproducts, including toxic ash that must be landfilled. Rhode Island Sea Grant’s objective is to create a system reusing
a valuable form of solid waste. Rhode Island’s small size and status as a marine industry hub make it an ideal laboratory for experiment- ing with an international solution. Sea Grant has taken the first steps toward introducing fibreglass into the growing stream of American alternative fuel aggregates. The extent of future roles within the proposed programme
will rely on the continued interest of the US cement industry. A successful end result could create new economic opportunities for
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