Fast Company writes that Voodin Blades is a German startup that specializes in manufacturing wind turbine blades from wood, as a way to reduce our dependency on the steel, fiberglass and plastic that they are usually made with.

Last year, we wrote about a team of experts at Michigan State University that proposed a different way to manufacture wind turbines, so that they can be turned into gummy bears once they aren't suitable for harnessing green energy.

Wind turbines are manufactured from a number of materials that are being sandwiched together, which makes it difficult to recycle them when the time comes.

According to Voodin Blades' CEO, Tom Siekmann, "even though it might be possible to recycle each component of that sandwich individually, it’s really difficult to take them apart and recycle them."

The sheer size of the blades makes it very unappealing for recyclers to take proper care of them and even if they process all the different materials, these mostly end up in things like cement, according to experts.

Photo source: Voodin Blades

Following discussions with friends that work in the wind power industry, Siekmann realized that wood might be a good alternative to build turbine blades, as it is strong enough to withstand the forces generated by the movement, as well as being fairly easy to process at the end of the lifespan.

As per company's numbers, wood-made blades generate 78% less emissions throughout their life, while also providing a 20% lower cost compared to traditional turbine blades. Very important, they are completely biodegradable, so if abandoned out in the wild, they should pose less of a threat to the planet.

Another advantage of the turbines is the fact that they can be easily dismantled and turned into new products.

Voodin Blades recently made a small wind turbine prototype manufactured from wood, which will be tested soon, after regulatory approvals. The team will also start to collaborate with wind turbine manufacturers to design larger, more conventional blades that can generate higher power.

Over the next couple of years, the waste problem posed by decommissioned blades will amount to around 14.000 units being thrown every year, which is why solutions are urgently needed. Also, by mid-century, we could have a blade-waste issue amounting to 43 million tons of waste.