Europe found a clever new job for dead wind turbines, and the US is copying it

AI Summary

Europe has developed an innovative method to recycle decommissioned wind turbine blades by repurposing them into girders for pedestrian bridges. This approach, originated in Ireland and now adopted in the US, addresses environmental concerns related to wind energy waste.

Wind turbine blades are notoriously hard to recycle, giving critics of wind energy an easy line of attack. But an idea born in Ireland in 2019 is quietly fixing that. Decommissioned fiberglass blades are being turned into girders for pedestrian bridges—first in Cork, then near Atlanta by 2025—swapping out steel and giving retired blades a useful second life instead of a landfill.