Carving a new slope for composite ski recycling
Like many other industries, the ski industry is facing increasing pressure to take on environmental concerns and adopt circular economy principles. At the heart of this challenge lies the complex nature of the composite materials often used in ski manufacturing. A challenge, leading ski manufacturer Atomic is working actively to address.
The challenge of composite materials
Composite materials are celebrated for their combination of light weight, durability and strength, making them a staple in industries ranging from aerospace to sports equipment. However, while ideal for ski production, these materials, typically containing of epoxy-based resins and various fibres, are notoriously difficult to recycle due to their complex composition and durability. This leads to waste of valuable resources, high disposal costs, and adds to the negative environmental impact of landfilling or incineration.
Redefining the afterlife of skis
To tackle these challenges, Atomic partnered with the Danish Technological Institute (DTI), leveraging DTI's expertise in composite recycling. The collaboration aimed to adapt a circular recycling technology, originally developed for wind turbine blades, to Atomics skis.
The technology uses a wet process to treat the composite materials, allowing for the separation and recovery of valuable components such as aluminium, steel and plastics. This provides an opportunity to recapture resources that would otherwise be lost.
The wet process used to treat the composite ski materials
Promising Results
What followed was one-year long collaboration between DTI and Atomic – unfolded in two stages. First, DTI's specialists spent months applying their advanced recycling methods to Atomics ski samples, successfully demonstrating the ability to disassemble composite skis.
Following this breakthrough, the project entered its second phase, a deep dive into the ski's material makeup, with the partners identifying recyclable components for potential use in new products. This phase used life cycle analyses (LCA’s) environmental impact and economic calculations to explore the necessary steps and investments still required to implement the technology on an industrial scale.
Throughout the process, we have been impressed by DTI's ability to adapt their techniques to the unique challenges presented by our composite skis. The collaborative nature of our work, combining Atomics deep understanding of ski manufacturing with DTI's expertise in circular recycling technologies, has led to breakthroughs we had not previously thought possible. This project has opened new avenues for innovation in ski design, manufacturing and recycling, potentially transforming how we think about the entire lifecycle of our products.
– Helmut Holzer, Director of Anticipation and Advanced Research at Atomic
The disassembly of the composite skis
Implications for the wider industry
The progress in ski recycling technology addresses the global challenge of composite material recycling – offering a scalable model with significant market potential across various industries and regions. From automotive to aerospace, the technology could revolutionise how sectors worldwide handle end-of-life composite products. It provides a tangible pathway to waste reduction and resource recovery, demonstrating how industry-specific innovations can have broad, cross-sector applications.
We have demonstrated that it's possible to recover materials from composites in products such as skis and wind turbine blades. In order to make this a reality for the wider industry, we need to establish new partnerships where producers and recyclers come together and invest in the implementation of new solutions. The solutions will never be viable for a single company but should benefit from the economy-of-scale when we work together. When we succeed in this, then within a few years, we anticipate that new recycling loops will be available on an industrial scale benefiting both businesses and the environment.
– Simon Frølich, Technology Director at Danish Technological Institute
The project and its promising results were presented to the whole industry at the Ski Industry Climate Summit 2024.