Exploring Temporal, Regional and Stakeholder Dimensions of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (Cfrps) Recycling: A Life Cycle Assessment Case Study

Abstract

Emerging recycling technologies offer the potential to address the growing end-of-life waste stream of carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs), but life cycle assessment (LCA), commonly used to evaluate them, often overlooks the practical limitations of recycled fiber applications and the influence of methodological choices. Here, we conduct a prospective LCA applying dual functional units to compare pyrolysis and solvolysis as two recycling technologies at both the process and system levels, capturing technology performance, supply chain integration, and stakeholder priorities. A region-specific analysis further reflects localized conditions influencing recycling outcomes. Results show that while pyrolysis generally achieves lower environmental burdens at the process level, this advantage becomes less pronounced at the system level, highlighting the need for complementary assessments beyond LCA to support more holistic decision-making. Our findings underscore the need for tailored LCAs addressing diverse stakeholder interests and offer a forward-looking perspective to support CFRP recycling strategies within a circular economy.

Keywords: Prospective life cycle assessment (pLCA), Circular economy, End-of-life (EoL), Fiber-reinforced polymer composites.