Old fiberglass boats are being burned for cement

Old fiberglass boats are difficult to recycle due to the resin component that cannot be melted down. This leaves them as expensive waste when they reach the end of their lives. Rhode Island's Marine Trades Association Foundation tested an unconventional solution by shredding old fiberglass hulls and sending them to a cement plant in South Carolina.

The fiberglass can provide fuel and replace some raw materials during cement manufacturing. The pilot project processed about 60 tons of fiberglass boats, successfully accepted by the cement plant as both a fuel source and raw-material substitute. This demonstrates that recycling fiberglass boats can work, but cost remains a significant hurdle.

The initiative aims to make fiberglass disposal alternatives more affordable and accessible for boat owners, potentially expanding to other composite materials.