This paper presents the main technologies for recycling carbon fibre reinforced plastics, focusing on the chemical recycling using the supercritical fluids technology. The conventional technologies of carbon fibres recycling are described with their advantages and drawbacks. After a brief introduction on the specific properties of supercritical fluids and some of the green associated technologies, the development of the chemical recycling of carbon fibre reinforced plastics by solvolysis in near- and supercritical fluids is reviewed. Research efforts on the technology have shown great results at the lab-scale and should then contribute to the development of this process at the industrial scale in a near future. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.