In this interview, we speak with Guillaume, co-founder of Composite Recycling, whose journey has been shaped by a lifelong passion for sailing and a diverse career in global business. Growing up by the Mediterranean Sea, Guillaume developed a love for the water, enjoying competitive sailing and family trips on his sailboat. After earning degrees in business administration across Europe, the US, and Japan, he embarked on a successful career with Ford Motor Company, managing teams and projects worldwide. Later, Guillaume founded his own consulting firms, focusing on business development and restructuring, particularly in cleantech and waste management. His deep ties to the nautical industry and the pressing need for sustainable recycling solutions for end-of-life sailboats inspired him to co-found Composite Recycling in 2021.
Can you briefly introduce your company, Composite Recycling?
Composite Recycling is a start-up based near Lausanne, in the canton of Vaud, founded in 2021. We have developed a solution for recycling composite materials by separating resin from fiber, making them reusable for creating new composites or plastics. With a team of eight employees, we are currently building a second industrial scale machine
to meet the rapidly growing demand for our product. Our primary market is Europe, with a focus on Switzerland and its neighboring countries.
How did you come up with this idea, and what is your business model?
My co-founder Pascal and I share a strong passion for sailing and sports. The idea for our venture emerged while I was working on a tire recycling project, which made me realize that other products made with composite materials like boats and skis are not recyclable. Through pyrolysis, we developed a practical solution to address the challenges faced by manufacturers in the composite sector. Our method provides an alternative to incineration and landfills, with the recycled products—primarily thermolysis fibers and oil—sold back to the industry.
What does sustainability and the circular economy mean in your industry?
At Composite Recycling, it is essential to ensure the highest value and quality for our recycled products. Our goal is to enable the reuse of these materials rather than simply converting waste into heat, which contributes to pollution. Through our innovative process, we’ve managed to maintain superior reusability and quality, providing a truly circular solution for the composites industry and those manufacturers who want to be able to manufacture with recycled content.
And how do you ensure these circular economy principles?
By measuring the impact of our recycling, we have demonstrated that using recycled products reduces the carbon footprint by more than 70% when used to manufacture new composites. Producing new glass fiber using traditional methods produces 4 times as much CO2. While recycling is beneficial, doing so in an environmentally responsible way is even better. We are currently exploring CO2 capture solutions to achieve zero impact, with the ultimate goal of extending the lifespan of these materials while continuously reducing their environmental impact.
What are the three main challenges you are facing, especially in Switzerland?
The first challenge was securing funding to develop this solution and meet market demand. The second challenge is staying focused on a single type of waste, as the demand for composite recycling is immense. Composites, from computer circuit boards to wind turbine blades, are used in numerous industries and geographies. With increasing demand, we must avoid spreading our efforts across too many projects without solid solutions. Lastly, the third challenge is navigating varying regulatory frameworks, which differ from country to country. In some nations, regulations are advancing, while in Switzerland, further discussion is needed.
What are your future innovative projects toward a circular economy?
After developing our mobile composite recycling machine, our aim is to create a complete composites recycling chain involving waste managers and manufacturers. Currently, companies producing composites—whether from production waste or end-of-life products—do not separate them, sending everything to landfills or incinerators. Waste streams include a mix of composite materials, varnished wood, and other items. Encouraging waste managers to separate these streams is crucial so we can gather accurate data on product volumes, which is vital for designing recycling facilities. Additionally, we are exploring different models and value chains to reuse recycled products, adapting and optimizing our services for various regions and countries.
Can this composite recycling chain be extended to other European countries?
This month we announced our joint pilot in France with Veolia, and we are also in talks with companies in Austria, Germany and Italy. Beyond the EU, we are engaging with manufacturers in the UK and the US.
You’ve won several innovation awards. Would you say you’ve received significant support from public institutions and manufacturers?
Yes, we receive support from various public institutions in Switzerland, including the SFOE (Swiss Federal Office of Energy) and Innosuisse (Swiss Innovation Funding Agency), as well as from the canton of Vaud, where our headquarters is located. These organizations help with certification and event organization. On the industrial side, we have partnerships with many large companies across Europe and other regions, many of whom have sales in excess of 4 billion francs. These companies must comply with new regulations or face penalties. For instance, manufacturers of boats and skis—whose current production is 100% non-recyclable—are facing challenges due to new European laws on extended producer responsibility, which will soon prohibit the sale of non-recyclable products. As a result, developing sustainable and recyclable solutions has become a strategic priority for them.
Any final thoughts?
Innovation is what fuels the composites industry. But today, concerns about CO2 emissions related to composite manufacturing are acting as a brake on this innovation potential. We are committed to bringing sustainability to composites to enable continued innovation with this incredibly functional and versatile material. Initiatives like Cradle_Alp present an exciting opportunity for expanding our recycling efforts. This project enables collaboration with diverse stakeholders, industries, and skill sets to address circular economy challenges through technological connections and supply chain innovations.
The interview was conducted by Princia Yai from School of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg.
