Repurposing waste into opportunity by design

Novel methods support identifying new products that can be developed from waste, such as components from retired aircraft or wind turbines.

A collaboration with Boeing Aerostructures Australia

Retired large-scale and complex systems, such as aircraft, wind turbines, and oil and gas rigs, produce millions of tonnes of waste.

Source: Vecteezy.com, 2025, “The Wreckage of a Tourist Plane, in Parung, Bogor. The Metal Remains of the Hull and Wings of the Ship Can Be Seen, like a Carcass. Bogor, Indonesia, August 23, 2022.” [Online]. Available: https://www.vecteezy.com/photo/23639775-the-wreckage-of-a-tourist-plane-in-parung-bogor-the-metal-remains-of-the-hull-and-wings-of-the-ship-can-be-seen-like-a-carcass-bogor-indonesia-august-23-2022. [Accessed: 10-Jun-2025].

The components of these retired systems have remaining performance and value that can be repurposed for new applications. However, they are often discarded in boneyards or reduced to the material level through recycling.

The methods developed in this study can help analyse a waste component in terms of its attributes that can be repurposed. The identified attributes can then be used to generate new product concepts that are technically, environmentally and economically feasible.

In this way, we can start to see waste as a resource that supports the development of new products, generates revenue, and reduces environmental impact.