At Metstrade 2025, the world’s leading trade show for leisure marine professionals and shipbuilding, the Circular Alliance for Composite Recycling—bringing together Groupe Beneteau, Veolia, Composite Recycling, Arkema, Owens Corning, and Chomarat—received the “Sustainability Project of the Year” award. This alliance will also be showcased at the Paris Boat Show at Le Bourget this week on the stand of our partner Beneteau.
Arkema plays a pivotal role in this project thanks to Elium®, its innovative thermoplastic resin that makes composites fully recyclable. Unlike traditional resins used in the leisure boat industry, a composite made with Elium® can be recycled through a chemical depolymerization process, allowing recovery of both resin and fibers for reuse in manufacturing new parts and boat hulls.
This technology paves the way for a truly virtuous cycle: reducing composite waste, repurposing end-of-life materials, and lowering the carbon footprint of the marine industry.
“This recognition highlights Arkema’s ability to leverage material chemistry for sustainability, in partnership with leaders in boating, composites, and recycling. Together, we are building a viable circular model for a more responsible future,” says Pierre Gérard, R&D Expert in Composite Materials at Arkema, who was deeply involved in establishing this alliance.
The alliance will also be a central feature of the 2025 Paris Boat Show from November 26 to November 30 at the Parc des Expositions du Bourget. On Beneteau’s stand in Hall 3, visitors will discover an educational pathway dedicated to circular boatbuilding, in partnership with the five other major players in the alliance. This initiative reflects Beneteau’s commitment, as a global leader in boating, to innovate toward more recyclable boats with a lower environmental footprint.
Closing the loop
