#205 Afterwind, Afterlife: How Julia Minici Wants to Make Composites Truly Circular

How do we move from pilot projects to true
circularity in composites — at industrial scale?

In this full #Composites360onTour interview, Ilkay Özkisaoglu
speaks with Julia Minici, 
Co‑Founder & Chairperson of Afterwind, directly after the
first General Assembly of the European Circular Composites
Alliance (ECCA) in Brussels, organised by EuCIA.

Afterwind is tackling one of the biggest sustainability
challenges in advanced materials: 
*what happens to composite products at the end of their life —
especially wind turbine blades?

Julia explains Afterwind’s approach to true recycling of
glass‑fibre composites, why consistent quality at scale is the
missing link for circularity, and how recycling solutions
developed for wind can be transferred to construction, automotive
and boating.

Topics covered in this interview:

• What “true recycling” really means — beyond landfill and
incineration 
• Mechanical vs. chemical recycling and current technology
readiness levels
• Why scaling secondary raw materials is essential for
manufacturers 
• The real challenges of recycling 66‑metre wind turbine
blades 
• How Afterwind builds stable, cross‑industry feedstock
streams 
• Why the boating industry is a critical next frontier — and why
it’s complex 
• Julia’s role as Chair of two ECCA Working Groups (Industrial
& Recreational, Construction) 
• Why ECCA is not just an initiative — but a movement for
European industry 
• From collaboration to responsibility: how circularity actually
gets implemented

About the context

This conversation was recorded during the **European Circular
Composites Alliance (ECCA) General Assembly in Brussels — a
milestone event bringing together industry, policymakers and
innovators to shape a circular future for composite materials in
Europe.

Composites Lounge is a proud supporter of the ECCA movement, and
this interview is part of our ongoing effort to highlight people
who turn **vision into industrial action**.

YouTube Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJq-16E8Je0