Vartega’s Story: Five Times the Space with Ten Times the Capacity

April 10, 2023 –

Five times the space with ten times the capacity.

Now that is a recipe for a success story: IACMI-member Vartega’s success story as they grow and expand into a new facility. From recycling carbon fiber scraps in a fish tank in his garage to setting up custom-built capabilities in a 50,000 square foot facility in Denver, CO, it’s been quite a ride for CEO Andrew Maxey. IACMI and Vartega have been partners from nearly the beginning.

“The Vartega team has worked diligently over the past several years to develop products and processes that solve challenging waste problems,” says Andrew. “Advanced materials recycling is no longer nice to have, it’s a must have. Our new facility will be a world class manufacturing environment, where we can deliver a reliable source of high-quality recycled carbon fiber while contributing to our community and providing a meaningful benefit to all our stakeholders.”

Vartega’s Growth

Since 2014, Vartega has had a vision to make “carbon fiber for the masses”—that is, making carbon fiber more accessible to a wider audience of consumers. Vartega’s carbon fiber and specialty thermoplastics are used in sporting goods, consumer electronics, additive manufacturing, and vehicle lightweighting. Carbon fiber has long been known for its strength to weight ratio, but it comes with a high price tag. That’s where Andrew saw an opportunity to develop a recycled alternative.

About 30% of virgin carbon fiber used in the aerospace industry is typically considered scrap. Vartega uses this scrap from various dry fiber and prepreg sources to create recycled carbon fiber, a low-cost alternative for automotive and industrial applications. It’s available in short fiber formats and is ideally suited for use in reinforced thermoplastics, non-woven textiles, and thermoset molding compounds. This material exhibits the same mechanical properties as virgin carbon fiber at a fraction of the cost.

IACMI was part of Vartega’s previous ribbon cutting for a 10,000 sq.ft. facility in 2019, making it a highlight of IACMI’s summer members meeting in Denver. IACMI has worked with Vartega on multiple projects to validate the performance of their recycled carbon fiber in relevant applications and has provided a platform for Vartega to expand their reach.

What Now?

To meet the growing demand for recycled carbon fiber, Vartega will be hosting another ribbon cutting on May 23 in the new facility. With a planned capacity of 2,000 metric tons per year, Vartega will continue to serve its growing customer base in North America while pursuing new opportunities in Europe and Asia.

“It’s all scaling up,” says 22-year-old Adam Peterson, one of the newer #Vartegans in communications. “Our teams are getting bigger, the storage and shipping space is bigger, and all our equipment is bigger. A lot of our machines are specialized so that we can make the best possible material. We’re also looking forward to moving our R&D from a corner of one room into the space we need for whatever’s next.”

Adam says they’re expanding into other products, but he can’t give specifics yet. Whatever they are, Vartega’s goal remains the same: to make carbon fiber products more affordable. “I’m honestly super excited to see the industries that we’re able to get into,” Adam shares. “I was in a surf shop in Australia and saw a surfboard made of fiberglass, which is weaker and heavier than carbon fiber. A carbon fiber surfboard would be way expensive, but if it was recycled carbon fiber, that could totally be done! EVs, watches, instruments, sporting goods—there are so many possibilities.”

What’s Next

Vartega has some lofty ambitions in their future, with a mission to “solve the world’s toughest advanced materials recycling challenges.” They want to create circular supply chains, decarbonize transportation, and enable a sustainable future. When carbon fiber is more affordable, it propels more industries forward. It makes progress not only possible but probable.

“Recovery and recycling of carbon fiber scrap has finally reached the point of maturity that it needs to be part of every manufacturer’s supply chain,” notes IACMI Chief Commercialization Officer Dale Brosius. “Our projects incorporate all levels of the supply chain and Vartega is integral to that model.”

For Adam, this next phase feels personal. “I really like the idea of making an impact. I tried politics and decided that wasn’t my path. I really like this because it’s objectively working to make the world a better place. I think we all agree there’s a waste problem in a lot of our industries. At Vartega, we’re working to solve those challenges that we face and that’s really cool to me.”