Exel Composites, OCF Build Commercial-Scale Use of Circular Composites Across Europe

Unwound OCF glass fiber material. Source (All Images) | OCF

Exel Composites (Vantaa, Finland) has partnered with glass fiber innovator Original Composites and Fiberglass (OCF, Granville, Ohio, U.S.) to accelerate the use of circular materials in industrial composites manufacturing, adopting Sustaina continuous filament mat (CFM) for commercial-scale use across Europe. The partnership will see Sustaina CFM used in several hundred tons of material annually, supporting Exel’s wider sustainability ambitions while maintaining the consistent performance required for demanding pultrusion applications.

Sustaina is an International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC+) certified glass fiber solution with 50% circular content, based on a mass balance calculation. This means that for every ton produced, at least 500 kilograms of virgin raw material has been replaced by circular feedstock.

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Exel says the collaboration marks a significant step forward for composite circularity, demonstrating how recycled content materials can move beyond pilot projects and into high-volume industrial production. For Exel, the transition supports its wider sustainability strategy and responds to increasing customer interest in responsible material sourcing (learn more about its journey here).

Sustaina CFM can be easily implemented into Exel’s production process with no change or impact on the properties of its composite materials. This was essential for Exel’s continuous manufacturing operations, where consistent thickness, equal fiber distribution, stable process behavior and reliable mechanical performance are critical.

OCF L’Ardoise, France facility.  

“For us, circularity is the future,” says Kim Sjödahl, VP technology and sustainability at Exel Composites. “There is still a limited amount of recycled composite material available across our industry, but we are challenging ourselves to use more circular and recycled materials wherever technically possible. Together with OCF, we hope to set an example that composite circularity is not only feasible, but also that it can be done without disrupting the desired properties and high performance of composite materials.”

The partnership also comes at a pivotal time for OCF, with the company embracing a new brand identity that reflects its almost 90-year composites heritage alongside a renewed focus on circularity, and innovation across the composites value chain. Read “What is the future for Owens Corning Glass Reinforcements?” for more information.