On 5 November, the CO-SMART project took center stage at Ecomondo, the leading international trade fair for ecological transition and the circular economy, held every year in Rimini. As a meeting point for institutions, the research community, industry, and innovators, Ecomondo serves as a strategic platform for dialogue on environmental issues and for showcasing the most advanced technologies shaping a sustainable future.
Within this setting, Herambiente hosted the CO-SMART project at its stand, providing an opportunity to delve into one of the most promising areas of advanced recycling: carbon fiber recovery.
The FIB3R plant and the value of secondary raw materials
At the heart of the discussion was the experience of the FIB3R plant in Imola, developed from a patent by Prof. Loris Giorgini (University of Bologna) and Curti Costruzioni Meccaniche, industrialized and now operated by Herambiente. It is the first industrial facility in Italy dedicated to recovering carbon-fiber-reinforced composite materials (CFRP) through an innovative pyro-gasification process. In operation for about a year, FIB3R is capable of producing high-quality recycled carbon fibers, with full traceability and strict control over the properties of the output material.
Thanks to the support and coordination of Herambiente representatives Marco Santin and Daniele Biondi, the CO-SMART project was able to initiate a technical and design-focused dialogue on the application potential of this secondary raw material within the sustainable mobility sector—where stringent performance requirements still limit the adoption of recycled materials despite their significant promise.
From the lab to the street: two skateboards to put innovation to the test
Among the tangible results showcased at Ecomondo were two skateboards made with recycled carbon fiber produced by FIB3R, in collaboration with Crossfire Srl Laboratory. The two prototypes demonstrate two different approaches to using the fiber:
• The first skateboard was made using a non-woven fabric supplied by Herambiente, obtained from the reprocessing of the fiber after pyro-gasification. The resulting product is significantly lighter than its fiberglass counterpart, while still maintaining excellent structural stiffness.
• The second prototype, on the other hand, used raw patches directly as produced by the plant, without any additional processing. Testing showed excellent mechanical performance, paving the way for the material’s direct reuse, with added environmental and economic benefits.
The role of CO-SMART in driving sustainable transition
The CO-SMART project, within the framework of activities promoted by the PNRR and the National Cluster CN-MOST, helps support and disseminate solutions with a high level of technological maturity (TRL), speeding up the introduction of innovative materials into industrial processes. In this case, strengthening the recycling chain for CFRPs represents a key step toward a circular economy for the mobility sector.
