Beneteau and its partners launch a project for a production boat made of recycled materials

Groupe Beneteau, in collaboration with Veolia, Arkema and three other players, announces the launch of a pioneering project in the boating industry: the construction of the first production boat using recycled materials. This initiative marks a turning point in the management of composite waste, traditionally considered non-recyclable, by setting up a complete channel for the reuse of materials from the shipbuilding industry.

Maxime Leriche Published on March 5, 2025

An innovative process for recycling composites

Composite materials, composed of glass fibers and resins, pose a major challenge at the end of their life cycle. Until now, these materials were either incinerated or landfilled. The innovation is based on a heat treatment technique developed by Swiss start-up Composite Recycling. The process heats waste to 400 degrees without oxygen, recovering intact glass fibers and producing a thermolytic oil. This oil is then transformed back into resin by Arkema, thus closing the recycling loop.

A concrete application in shipbuilding

Thanks to this process, Beneteau plans to produce its first production boat in 2025. For each unit built, around 30 end-of-life boats or production scraps will be needed to recover sufficient raw material. The Elium recycled resin, developed by Arkema, will also facilitate this process by enabling better separation of components during recycling.

Towards wider adoption of recycled composites

While this project primarily concerns the marine industry, the implications go far beyond that. The automotive, aeronautical and construction industries could all benefit from these advances. In Europe, several countries already ban the landfilling of composites, reinforcing the need for alternative solutions. The development of this sector could serve as a model for other industries seeking to reduce their environmental footprint.

An economic and environmental challenge

Although production in recycled materials entails an additional cost of around 6% compared with traditional construction, it represents a strategic investment in anticipating future environmental regulations. What's more, recycling waste helps limit the ecological impact of shipyards, where production offcuts account for up to 30% of the total volume.

This initiative by Beneteau and its partners paves the way for a structural change in the management of composite waste. It remains to be seen whether this approach will appeal to consumers, and whether other projects will follow this dynamic towards more sustainable boating.