Toray Advanced Composites, Daher, and TARMAC Aerosave, in collaboration with Airbus, announce the launch of a joint End-of-Life Aerospace Recycling Program. The initiative aims to transform how the industry handles secondary structural components made from continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites, bringing circularity to the forefront of commercial aircraft production. 

Driving Circularity and Decarbonization in Aerospace 

This collaborative project aims to extend the life of advanced composite materials by recovering thermoplastic parts from decommissioned Airbus A380 aircraft and repurposing them for future aeronautical applications. 

Central to the initiative is the recycling of the A380’s pylon cover—a high-performance structure made of Toray Cetex® TC1100 (carbon/PPS) thermoplastic composite. With over 10,000 flying parts in the A380 made from similar materials, the aircraft provides an ideal platform to pioneer and validate real-world recovery and reintegration processes for next-generation composite recycling. 

An Industry-Spanning Partnership for Material Innovation

The project brings together critical expertise from across the aerospace and materials value chain. Airbus is supporting the framework for advanced composite reuse. TARMAC Aerosave, a leader in aircraft dismantling, ensures that components are carefully extracted without damaging material integrity. Daher is reshaping and validating the recovered parts under serial production conditions. Toray, as a global materials innovator, is overseeing the quality of composites destined for second-life applications. 

“Thermoplastic materials offer great potential for recycling,” said Scott Unger, CEO of Toray Advanced Composites. “Through this initiative, we’re creating pathways to not only recycle our materials but to reintegrate them meaningfully into aerospace structures—meeting rising aircraft demand while reducing our environmental footprint.” 

Julie Vadour, R&D Director at Daher, highlighted the company’s long-standing use of thermoplastics: “These materials are key to building lighter, more efficient aircraft. Their reusability, weldability, and now recyclability offer genuine sustainability gains.” 

For Alexandre Brun, President of TARMAC Aerosave, the initiative builds on a strong foundation: “Recovering and sorting aircraft materials is part of our DNA. With a 92% recycling rate, this project further elevates our role in the eco-design of future aircraft by advancing thermoplastic reuse.” 

Source: www.toraytac.com