Wind Turbine Tower Recycling

What Happens to Old Wind Turbine Towers?

Last reviewed by James Hartley on 02 April 2026

Old wind turbine towers face one of three fates: landfill, recycling, or repurposing. The most sustainable option is recycling due to the high recyclability rates of steel and concrete materials.

Wind turbines reach their end of life after 25-30 years, at which point they must be decommissioned. Rather than sending parts to landfills, companies like Wind Turbine Tower Recycling opt for environmentally-friendly methods by focusing on material recovery. This includes recycling structural steel (80-400 tonnes per tower) and concrete foundations (400-1,000 tonnes), which are 95%+ recyclable. Smaller components like internal copper cables also have high value when recovered.

According to the UN Global E-Waste Monitor 2024, The world generated 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022, up 82% from 2010.

While repurposing is gaining interest for blades and nacelles, towers present unique challenges due to their size and material composition. Recycling remains the preferred method as it maximises resource recovery and minimises environmental impact.

How Are Wind Turbine Towers Recycled?

Wind turbine tower recycling involves several steps: steel scrap removal, concrete crushing, copper cable extraction, and foundation management.

First, the tower is cut into sections for transportation to a recycling facility. Steel towers are the most valuable component due to their weight and material properties. Companies like Vestas and CS Wind supply towers made primarily of structural steel that can be recycled up to 95% by mass. The scrap metal market values this resource highly.

Next, concrete foundations are crushed on-site or transported for further processing into aggregate materials. This aggregate finds use in construction projects, reducing the need for virgin materials.

Internal copper cabling is also valuable and recovered separately from other components. Copper can be cleaned and reused in various applications.

According to the European Parliament, less than 1% of rare earth elements in e-waste are currently recycled.

Finally, foundation removal varies by jurisdiction but often leaves up to 1-3 meters below grade intact. Surface restoration follows to ensure safe reuse of the land.

What Does Wind Turbine Decommissioning Cost?

Wind turbine decommissioning costs range between $50,000 and $200,000 per tower. These expenses cover cutting the tower into manageable sections for transport, moving them off-site, and processing the scrap materials at a recycling facility.

According to the WHO, e-waste contains over 1,000 different substances, many of them toxic.

These figures reflect the labour-intensive nature of dismantling large structures like wind towers. Each step-from onsite disassembly to transport logistics-adds significant costs. Despite these expenses, recycling remains economically viable due to high material recovery rates and resale value for recovered metals.

What Materials Are Recovered?

Wind Turbine Tower Recycling focuses on recovering structural steel (80-400 tonnes per tower), concrete foundations (400-1,000 tonnes), zinc coating, and internal copper cabling. Each material has different properties and recovery challenges but all hold significant value.

Steel towers are the most valuable, with up to 95% recyclability. The scrap metal market values this steel highly due to its quality and quantity. Concrete foundations, while less lucrative per pound, still find use in construction aggregates after crushing and processing. Copper cables provide another revenue stream through their recovery processes.

Zinc coatings protect against corrosion but are typically removed during dismantling for proper disposal or recycling based on local regulations.

Regulations on Wind Turbine Waste

Most decommissioning permits require complete tower removal from sites, with concrete foundations often allowed to remain partially intact. Some jurisdictions permit leaving up to 1-3 meters of the foundation underground after surface restoration. These rules aim to balance environmental concerns and practical site reuse while ensuring safety standards are met.

Local regulations dictate specific requirements for waste management during decommissioning, including transport permits, disposal guidelines, and documentation needs. Compliance ensures that all materials adhere to recycling or proper disposal protocols as mandated by regional laws.

The Wind Waste Problem

The wind waste problem is growing as more turbines reach the end of their operational lifespan. In the United States alone, there are over 85,000 towers awaiting decommissioning. Steel towers represent between 60-80% of total turbine recyclable value due to their large volume and high scrap metal market prices.

This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for recycling initiatives. Efficiently managing these materials can help mitigate waste while supporting sustainable practices in the renewable energy sector. Companies like Vestas are leading efforts to improve recycling technologies and processes, aiming to close material loops and reduce landfill contributions.

By focusing on effective recycling methods, the industry can address this mounting issue sustainably.

Sources

• UN Global E-Waste Monitor 2024
• European Parliament
• WHO