Toray Advanced Composites, partners win JEC Innovation Award for Circularity & Recycling

Global advanced composite materials supplier Toray Advanced Composites, with project partners Airbus, Daher, and Tarmac Aerosave, have been named the winner of the JEC Innovation Award for Circularity and Recycling for its End-of-Life recycling program.

The award was presented during JEC World Premier, held in Paris ahead of the JEC World exhibition in March. This recognition highlights the power of collaboration and innovation in driving recycling solutions across the aerospace sector.

The End-of-Life recycling project focuses on extending the lifecycle of composite materials. At the heart of this effort is the recycling of an A380 pylon fairing cover, made from Toray Cetex TC1100 (carbon/PPS) thermoplastic composite, for other aeronautical applications.

By developing advanced remanufacturing processes and creating a closed-loop recycling system, the initiative minimizes waste and accelerates recycling innovation.

“At Toray, we firmly believe that composite materials are a critical enabler of commercial aerospace decarbonization, helping our OEM customers significantly reduce aircraft weight and, in turn, lower CO₂ emissions,” said Steven Mead, chief commercial officer, Toray Advanced Composites, When considering the full airframe life cycle, it is essential to address end-of-life solutions and maximize recyclability. Leveraging Toray’s thermoplastic capabilities within a closed-loop aerospace environment would be a major step forward – one we are proud to demonstrate together with our partners.”

Expertise from the aerospace and materials sectors is being brought together in this collaborative initiative. Airbus provides support for the advanced material reuse framework, while TARMAC Aerosave will ensure components are dismantled without damage, preserving material integrity. Daher is leading the reshaping and the quality validation (performed as serial production conditions) of repurposed parts, while Toray, as a materials supplier, is monitoring the material quality for the second-life application.

The recycling program was announced in a press release in June 2025.

Toray will showcase its latest innovations, including the end-of-life recycling program, at JEC World (Paris, March 10-12), Hall 6/E05.

Watch a video overview of End-of-Life Recycling innovation.