Necessary Steps
In order to meet the targets and achieve the expected results, these are the necessary steps involved:

  • Creation of a central GFRP waste collection point which will be located at Bra Servizi. In order to avoid the pro-cessing of such waste outside the collection point and to prevent the dispersion of fine particles into the at-mosphere, a few adjustments are necessary. Special trucks will need to be adapted to carry out waste compres-sion in situ. They will need a higher cargo capacity and must be  instantly recognizable;
  • Setting up of a database to monitor collection activity and identify places where GFRP waste is produced (location, waste class, estimated mass and volume). The availability of such data, which will be continually updated for the entire length of the project, will allow the development of waste collection and treatment strategies, taking into account the seasonality of certain waste;
  • Creation of a grinding mill to reduce the volume of GFRP waste enabling it to be converted into a usable secondary raw material. In a sealed room at low pressure (to avoid the emission of particles into the atmosphere) GFRP waste will be converted into flakes; then, in a mill at a controlled atmosphere, the flakes will be turned into fine powder;
  • Implementation of a demonstration line for the re-treatment of GFRP waste resulting in the manufacturing of new fibreglass panels. The new panels will be manufactured according to two moulding techniques: in the first the panels will be combined with soft materials (such as leather), in the second they will be combined with high-performance materials (such as cork, polymeric foams, wood veneer);
  • Manufacturing of a demonstration range of the above-mentioned panels and installation in public and private build-ings to allow their properties to be tested and the results validated;
  • Definition of disposal procedures for the new panels at the end of their life and carrying out of LCA (Life Cycle As-sessment) research to assess the potential environmental impact that occurs through the product life cycle. Such research will be undertaken by the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Padua, the project partner of Bra Servizi;
  • Monitoring of the environmental and socioeconomic impact of the project. This activity too will be carried out by the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Padua.