Disposal of Worn Out Fiberglass Recreational Boats

Abstract

Mass production of fiberglass boats begun in the mid-50s of the 20th century. Over decades, a large number of such boats accumulated throughout the world. Since the lifespan of these boats is 30 to 50 years, at the moment many fiberglass boats simply arived to the end of their life and need to be appropriately disposed in a safe and environmentally friendly way. It is expected that the disposal of boats will become a more pronounced problem, in which the basic issue is the relatively high cost. The main problem is the fiberglass laminate which constitutes the major part of the boat. As of today, there are no economically viable methods. Many countries do not have special programs for the disposal of worn out fiberglass boats, which would undoubtedly provide the answers to many questions. The paper gives an overview of the disposal conditions of worn out recreational fiberglass boats over the world as well in the Republic of Croatia.