Saying Goodbye to the Boats That Got Us There, Part Two: Responsibly Disposing of Old Rowing Shells

In Part One, I covered the culture of rowing shells, and how modern design, materials and production have evolved beyond the idealized, organic vision of wooden rowing shells into the sleek racing vessels that are ostensibly better yet challenging to dispose of. In Part Two, we will discuss what our options are for reusing or recycling a composite material rowing shell in an environmentally sustainable way. 

The Problem

The rowing community is not alone in the challenge of sustainably disposing of old composite material boats. This is a challenge the larger boating community has been facing for some time now. Composite materials using glue and epoxy (with either glass or carbon fibers for structure) are designed to be tough, resilient, and hard to break apart. In most cases they are more resilient than plastic. The number of composite fiberglass hulls that have been produced since their introduction in the 1940s & 50s is easily over a hundred million. Fortunately, governing bodies (boating trade organizations, local and national governments) are starting to address the significant problem of disposing or recycling fiberglass hulls, which far exceed the number of old rowing shells being disposed of every year. Thus, boat disposal programs have been growing substantially all over the world. The final approach for many of these programs is still reduction (destruction and grinding of fiberglass, re-use as industrial filler or energy production via incineration) and/or ultimately landfill.  The process for closing the loop on composite fiberglass is ongoing and continues to develop. You can find more information on boat disposal programs in the United States, here. Most of these programs, although not all, will take carbon fiber rowing shells for disposal.

While fiberglass is extremely challenging (expensive and energy intensive) to recycle, carbon fiber shows more potential for reuse/recycle strategies. The case for investing into carbon fiber recycling processes is growing: There is increasing concern around the future supply/availability of carbon fiber. There is also clear evidence that recycling carbon fiber is less energy intensive than producing carbon fiber from natural resources. The availability of carbon fiber reuse/recycling protocols is clearly better to have and not need than to need and not have. In addition, the number of start-ups investing in carbon-fiber recycling technology is growing.  There are no fewer than 8 companies in the United States and another 8 in Europe actively working or developing technologies to recycle carbon fiber. The rowing community, shell manufacturers and relative NGB’s are well advised to explore potential partnerships and relationships with the companies that are active in this space. 

There is also clear evidence that recycling carbon fiber is less energy intensive than producing carbon fiber from natural resources.

So, what can you do?

There are re-use strategies as well for old shells that do not require complicated or expensive technologies. For years creative craftspeople have been dissecting old shells and repurposing them into furniture (the rowing shell coffee table can be admittedly cliche but is always eye-catching when well-executed), planters, and even marketing them to hospitality designers (interior designers that work exclusively in the restaurant and hotel industry). A rowing club does not necessarily need a crafty or handy member/hobbyist that is interested in these kinds of projects. I would actually recommend against that option. Inevitably the club and available rack space suffers while waiting for the well-intentioned”hobbyist” to get around to starting a rowing shell re-use project. I recommend a rowing club seek out and cultivate relationships with professionals working in these fields to create a pipeline for the repurposing of old shells. Remember, a reuse strategy ensures potentially decades more use of the boat/material after it leaves the boathouse. If it is hanging from the ceiling in a restaurant, holding a bed of flowers, or sitting in a living room as furniture, it is not sitting in a landfill or on the ground disrupting the Earth’s natural cycles of growth and re-generation. 

The rowing community, specifically the end-users of rowing equipment (athletes and rowing organizations) have a two-fold obligation when it comes to old boats: to replace old equipment with new (thereby maintaining the quality of the recreational and competitive rowing experience) and to dispose of the old equipment in an environmentally responsible and sustainable way. The replacement of old equipment with new should be a standardized and routine process for all clubs. Old boats can be appreciated and let go so new boats can be put to the purpose of creating new experiences and achievements. The old boats then cannot simply be cast aside to the back lot to be forgotten. Out of sight/out of mind cannot be the club’s protocol. They don’t go away until they actually go away to be recycled or reused. 

If your club has a “boneyard” of old, unused rowing shells, I recommend you communicate with the club/organization’s management (Board of Directors) to take action as recommended here. Your membership and the environment will thank you.

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John Wojtkiewicz

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