Fiberglass, also known as glass-reinforced plastic (GRP), has been an integral material in modern engineering and design, especially within the marine industry. Its lightweight, durable, corrosion, and marine organism-resistant properties have made it a favored choice for boatbuilders since the mid-20th century. But what of its origins?
In my own search to understand how fiberglass swept the world by storm, I set out to trace the material’s historical development, technical composition, and ‘revolutionizing’ impact on the marine industry, particularly in recreational and competitive sailing.
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Good article!
Has the USEPA opened any recent discussion relating to regulation of disposal of used fiberglass vessels and other GRP structures as hazardous waste or as a special waste? I see one study in 1991, but it primarily addressed production wastes, such as uncured resins and solvents. My gut feeling is that this is so far down the priority list that a rule making effort could never find funding, at least at the federal level.
It seems to me the hazards would be mostly airborne particulate of the sort OSHA can regulate, relating to the demolition process, but not from residing in the ground. If anything was going to leach, it most has over time, and the toxicity of the leachates that occur will fall in the usual range of landfill leachate, which itself is not a basket of fruit. I’ve been involved in the engineering and operation of treatment systems.
Interesting.