waste management | Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments blog

Waste management at end of life of wind turbines: reflection on my VC-ECR research journey

Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments | 19 August 20251 September 2025

by Carla De Laurentis

The 31st of July 2025 marked the end of my Vice Chancellor’s Early Career Researcher (VC-ECR) Development Award entitled: ‘Exploring waste management opportunities and challenges from end of life of on-shore wind infrastructure in the UK’.

When I wrote the proposal, my aim was to investigate the challenges associated with managing wind turbines at the end of their operational life, a topic of increasing relevance in the UK’s renewable energy landscape.

Throughout the life of the project, I investigated current practices and the innovation emerging in the sustainable waste management practices for wind turbines in the UK, looking at emerging technologies and innovations in recycling, reusing and repurposing components and materials.

I had the opportunity to investigate some in-depth case studies of UK onshore wind farms that are approaching or have reached the end of their lifecycle. These studies provided valuable insights into the practical realities of decommissioning and highlighted both the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. I was fortunate to collaborate with researchers, industry experts, and policymakers, engaging in site visits and research interviews.

Blade Bridge, Cork, Ireland and dismissed blades at DTU, Denmark

As an innovation scholar, I recognise that collaboration is fundamental to achieving sustainable innovation. I believe that the challenges of end of life of wind infrastructure can be addressed by bringing together diverse perspectives, skills, and experiences, and collaborative effort among waste management organisations, wind developers and asset owners, SMEs and circular economy specialists. With this in mind, the project served as a knowledge exchange platform to disseminate ideas and best-practices in the West of England and beyond, engaging with a diverse range of organisations and professionals. It also enabled me to build new relationships between the university, industries and innovators involved in the decommissioning of onshore wind energy projects.

The VC ECR Development Award also supported the organisation of two successful workshops at UWE Bristol. Thanks to the enthusiasm and passion of the attendees, we were able to:

Investigate the extent to which the current knowledge on end of life of wind infrastructure is adequate in addressing the emerging waste challenge as wind turbines approach their end of life;
Share lessons from the UK and international contexts on end-of-life practices in wind infrastructure;
Map the decommissioning landscape, including insights into repowering, regulatory frameworks, decision-making drivers and circular economy challenges;
Identify key knowledge gaps and explore collaborative strategies to address them.

When the turbine stops Workshop, UWE Bristol, 10/09/2024

As the VC-ECR Development Award comes to a close, the insights and connections developed through this project have supported me to develop future research opportunities and collaboration. I am pleased to share that this work has contributed to several ongoing initiatives. I am co-investigator on the Regulations to Ensure Sustainable Circular Use at End-of-Life for Wind (RESCUE) Project, funded by the UK Research and Innovation’s ‘UK Regulatory Science and Innovation Networks’ (RS&IN) programme; I have joined the IEA Wind International Task 45 on the Recycling of wind turbine blades contributing to global efforts to advance sustainable practices; I am also the co-creator of the Wind Energy End of Life Observatory (WEELO) designed as a collaborative platform to advance knowledge and understanding of end of life challenges in wind infrastructure.

As I work on the final report for the project, consolidating data on decommissioned wind projects, best practices, and policy frameworks in support of the sustainable decommissioning and recycling of wind turbines, I remain deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to the workshops, interviews, and discussions. A special thank you to UWE Bristol for the fantastic opportunity to carry out this research.

More information on the project is available here: End-of life of onshore wind infrastructure in the UK – Projects | UWE Bristol

Waste Management in Action at UWE

Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments | 8 July 20248 July 2024

By Sarai Bermejo De Andres

I am a final year student of the BSc in Environmental Management at the University of the West of England. I have a keen interest in sustainable practices and love learning new things, particularly in environmental science and policy. Recently, I completed the Practising Waste Management module, which provided valuable hands-on experience in conducting waste audits and understanding effective waste disposal methods. This module allowed me to directly apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations, deepening my appreciation for the complexities of waste management and sustainability. One of the activities was to audit the bins of the One Zone. During the module, we undertook a waste audit at the Frenchay Campus, focusing on the bins collected from the Canteen. Our task was to sort through the different categories of bin bags. Our audit revealed just how tricky waste disposal can be. In examining 30 bin bags, we discovered nearly all of them had items in the wrong place, showing many of us are confused about where things should really go.

Sorting through different categories of bin bags.

For example, the compost bin, which is designated exclusively for food waste, was found to contain ‘compostable’ food containers and takeaway cardboard boxes, items that do not belong in this bin. Despite their “compostable” labelling, these containers and boxes must not be mixed with food waste or regular cardboard recycling because they require specific conditions to decompose properly. Unfortunately, these composting facilities are not everywhere, including at UWE. As a result, these well-intentioned but wrongly sorted items are redirected to general waste, showing a gap in waste management practices and the need for clearer disposal instructions.

It was the same with the takeaway coffee cups, which ended up everywhere: general waste, cardboard, paper, cans and plastics, and even in the compostable bin bags. The tricky part is that the lid is recyclable, so it should go with plastics and cans. The cup itself, though, due to stains and a plastic coating, is not recyclable and belongs in general waste. As for the cardboard sleeve that sometimes wraps the cup for heat protection, if it is clean, it can be recycled with cardboard. It is a specific sorting process that ensures each part of the coffee cup is disposed of properly.

I thought I knew how to recycle, but turns out, I was a bit off on where some items should actually go. Definitely a learning moment.

This activity, developed in partnership with the UWE Sustainability Team, will directly influence UWE’s decision-making, ensuring our efforts genuinely enhance sustainable practices on campus. It is exciting to think about the potential changes in the coming years, like different informative posters or new guidelines, perhaps even a flowchart for proper bin usage, to encourage better recycling habits. Adjusting the bins’ sizes or colours might also reduce confusion, making it easier for everyone to participate effectively. Reducing the number of takeaway food containers provided by One Zone would be a massive help in reducing waste. Our involvement was a great opportunity to be part of meaningful change and improve how sustainability is understood and practiced at UWE.

The hands-on experience of sorting waste was both eye-opening and educational. Sorting through the bin bags, we had to physically handle each piece of waste, separating items into various categories such as food waste, recyclables, and general waste. It was a messy job, but it gave us a real sense of the complexities involved in waste management. The amount of improperly sorted waste was shocking and showed us that we need better education and clearer signposting.

Engaging in this audit made us more aware of our personal recycling habits. We learned the importance of rinsing out containers before recycling them, and we became more conscientious about separating our waste. The experience brought a sense of responsibility and a desire to contribute to a more sustainable campus environment.

Big shout-out to everyone who joined in, especially my course mates from the BSc in Environmental Management 3rd year!

End of life of wind infrastructure: what factors influence decision making?

Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments | 14 June 202418 June 2024

by Carla De Laurentis

On the 29^th May 2024, I was invited to Cork to present a recently published research paper at the Second Wind Value Conference on End of Life Issues for Wind Farms, that took place in the Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork (Ireland). This research funded by the RGS-IBG investigated the question of what to do with ageing onshore wind infrastructure in Italy. In particular the project explored how end of life decisions for onshore wind farms in Italy are being made and what influences them.

The conference represented an incredible opportunity to reflect on the many issues that are affecting end of life of wind infrastructure, such as financial and planning issues that are influencing decommissioning, repowering or life extension decisions and to explore opportunities for blade repurposing.

The footbridge constructed from re-purposing wind turbine blades in Cork.

The need for conferences such as this is clear. Attention on renewable energy infrastructure has predominantly focussed on the planning, design and construction of projects. This is often driven by the need to decarbonise the energy sector; yet we are overlooking the processes required for the management of end of life of the current portfolio of wind capacity that might be retiring around the world. The standard design lifetime of a wind turbine is predicted to be around 20 years according to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC-2005) standard. At the end of this predicted lifetime, it is expected that this infrastructure will require decommissioning resulting in a serious waste disposal issue. However, during the conference I argued that the timescale under which wind turbines approach the end of their operational lifetime is not uniform and depends on a number of other factors other than their projected life. Indeed, with the right conditions it is possible to repower wind turbines and extend their life.

The timing of end of life decisions and the consequent decisions regarding the future of existing turbine materials, and waste management, involves technical as well as analytical, financial and political questions. The ‘age’ of a wind turbine- and its degrading performance- is determined by a number of factors, with end-of-life decisions becoming an increasingly ad-hoc strategy for wind assets. These factors include:

technical: a good level of maintenance and site conditions are key in determining the performance and age of wind turbines;
economic and business models: operation costs, electricity markets, subsidy schemes and power purchase agreements will influence the economic evaluation of a wind site and its performance accelerating decision on life-extension and repowering;
legislative and regulatory: changes in government policy might facilitate end of life decision making to take advantage of technological advancement as repowered sites could support the achievement of government renewable energy targets;
planning and land use: simplifications to the planning and authorisation processes can positively influence repowering of some sites; operating licences and planning consents might be time-limited and there might be changes in the land designation making decommissioning the only option.
business environment: supportive governance and a drive towards the adoption of a circular economy in the wind sector plays an important role providing, for instance, potential responses to the challenge of wind turbine waste materials – in particular the question of what to do with the blades that currently cannot be recycled.

Some of these represented recurrent issues in the contributions at the conference and the discussion that followed. One of the main takeaways is that managing end of life of wind infrastructure projects represents many cross-sectoral challenges that require the sharing of best practice and active engagement from the main players from the renewable energy sector and beyond.

During the presentation, I shared an illustration that set out the different afterlife options for wind installations and had the opportunity to visit the footbridge constructed from re-purposing wind turbine blades in Cork.

A recording of my presentation can be accessed via the Conference link: Second Conference – Cork 2024 – Wind Value

Further information on the project can be accessed here: Is there an afterlife for wind installations in Italy? – Projects | UWE Bristol and here is a link to the paper: De Laurentis C and Windemer R (2024) When the turbines stop: Unveiling the factors shaping end-of-life decisions of ageing wind infrastructure in Italy. Energy Research and Social Science 113: 103536.