Verretex Secures CHF 12 Million To Advance Circular Glass Fibre Reinforcement For Thermoplastic Composites
BY Composights
Published: 07 May 2026
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Verretex has secured CHF 12 million in funding to advance the development and industrial scaling of circular glass fibre-based reinforcement materials for thermoplastic composites. The company is working to improve the recovery and reuse of glass fibre waste streams into higher-value composite applications.
A significant portion of post-industrial and end-of-life glass fibre waste in Europe consists of short, recycled glass fibres that are typically underutilised or treated as low-value material. While longer fibres can be reprocessed for secondary textile applications, shorter fibres often lack established pathways into structural composite production, despite growing demand from thermoplastics industries.
The initiative aims to enable the use of recycled glass fibres as reinforcement-grade inputs in thermoplastic composite systems such as polypropylene (PP), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The approach focuses on improving fibre surface characteristics and processing compatibility to allow integration into standard compounding and extrusion workflows used in composite manufacturing.
The development process includes fibre surface re-engineering, optimisation of processing parameters, and validation through twin-screw extrusion systems. These steps are intended to ensure that recycled fibres can achieve consistent dispersion and mechanical performance within thermoplastic composite matrices.
The project aims to reach technology readiness level (TRL) 6 by 2028, with plans to scale production from around 500 tonnes per year to 5,000 tonnes annually through industrial deployment. It is supported by Innosuisse and involves collaboration with academic and industrial partners across the composites value chain.
The work highlights a growing shift toward integrating recycled feedstocks into thermoplastic composite systems. Enabling the reuse of glass fibres in structural applications can reduce dependence on energy-intensive virgin materials while supporting more sustainable material cycles across automotive, construction, and industrial sectors.
Source: Verrtex | News
