Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

US: Carlisle Construction Materials has awarded a contract to Germany-based polymers producer Covestro to supply its 99%-reduced CO₂ bio-circular methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). Carlisle Construction Materials plans to use the materials in its polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation boards. Covestro says that it will supply its Mondur CQ 489 product, which will be suitable for use across Carlisle Construction Materials’ Hunter Panels, SynTec, Versico and WeatherBond product ranges. The supplier says that switching to this MDI will save 2.4t of CO₂ emissions per tonne used.

Carlisle Construction Materials president Steve Schwar said "Carlisle Construction Materials has always been at the forefront of developing high-performance construction products that lead the way in sustainability. With our new bio-based rigid foam insulation, we are demonstrating our unwavering commitment to environmental responsibility, while ensuring that our customers have access to the most advanced building materials available. Our partners play a pivotal role in the realisation of our bio-based isolation."

Covestro’s head of performance materials Hermann-Josef Doerholt said "Covestro’s vision to become fully circular requires research and development advancements that directly support the Scope 3 goals of our customers like Carlisle. Covestro has some of the most aggressive sustainability and climate targets in the chemical industry, and the further we progress in developing solutions to achieve them, the more the effects resonate along the supply chain.”

Brazil: A study has successfully enhanced the insulation properties of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) composites by incorporating micronised leather shavings. In a report published in the Journal of Materials Research and Technology, Gabriel Deltrejo Ribeiro and his team concluded that the new SBR-leather composite insulation had a thermal conductivity of 0.073W/mK and achieved a temperature attenuation of about 15°C.

North America: The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) has reported that its members recycled 1.36Mt of materials in their insulation products in 2023. Recycling Today News has reported that the main fraction used was glass, at 1.18Mt, 87% of the total. 1.15Mt of this (77%) was used in insulation production in the US, and 191,000t (23%) in Canada. NAIMA's industry-wide recycling programme has diverted 47Mt of recycled materials into insulation production since 1992.

NAIMA president and CEO Curt Rich said "Our industry continues to demonstrate its commitment to using recycled materials in the production of these essential products. With increased focus on whole building decarbonisation, insulation products will be a critical component of that activity. Sourcing recycled materials is one way we can decrease our environmental impact while producing essential insulation materials that ultimately lower building emissions."

Sweden: BEWI has expanded its expanded polystyrene (EPS) recycling capacities through the inauguration of its new Norrköping circularity hub in Östergötland. The hub occupies the site of BEWI’s former Norrköping insulation plant. The company says that it is equipped with an extruder to produce raw materials for the production of EPS for use in its product offering. Meanwhile, the site’s strategic location maximises the efficiency with which recyclable materials are obtained, for example local construction debris and fish boxes.

Belgium: Etex says that it ‘considerably’ progressed its Road to Sustainability 2030 plan during 2023. That year, safety intensity increased by 7%, and Etex established a global diversity, equity and inclusion ambassador community of 110 volunteers across 26 countries. In Europe, the company achieved 70% Environmental Product Declaration coverage as a percentage of its turnover, up from 58% in 2022. Etex raised its total use of recycled materials to 7.6%, and achieved a 23% reduction in Scopes 1 and 2 CO₂ compared to 2018 levels, in line with its 2030 target of 35%.

CEO Bernard Delvaux said “In the EU, more than 40% of energy consumed is used in buildings and more than 30% of energy-related greenhouse gasses emissions come from buildings. Next to new building activities, and according to current high energy standards, renovating old building stock should hence be a top priority. With our portfolio of building materials such as glass wool and extruded polystyrene insulation, gypsum wallboard, fibre cement boards and fire protection materials, Etex has the solutions to reach the ambitious targets. But in view of the huge challenge, a holistic and effective plan to boost renovation is needed, to finance and simplify the renovation process, in each of the EU countries.”

US: Owens Corning has published its 2023 Sustainability Report, highlighting its advances in sustainability in the past year. These included a 59% share of revenues from reduced-CO₂ products, with a 25% share of revenues from 14 products certified as produced with 100% renewable electricity. Scope 1 and 2 emissions fell by 28% from 2018 levels, in line with the group’s 50% 2030 reduction target. It launched a pilot bitumen felt shingle recycling programme, aimed at recycling 2Mt/yr of shingles in the US by 2030. Further, Owens Corning reduced its generation of landfill waste by 14% from 2018 levels, and launched a Circular Economy Recycling Technology Innovation Laboratory in Granville, Ohio. In 2023, the group’s incident rate was 81% below the industry average, and it remains on track to meet its 2030 inclusion and diversity goals.

Senior vice president and chief sustainability officer David Rabuano said “Our 2030 sustainability goals are growing ever closer, and we believe that the targets we have set for ourselves are well within our reach. This confidence is the result of our employees’ unparalleled engagement and enthusiasm for our mission coupled with our investments in the innovation required to execute new solutions.”

Chair and CEO Brian Chambers said “Owens Corning demonstrated outstanding financial and sustainability results in 2023, showcasing the power of our company’s mission to build a sustainable future through material innovation. This report reflects the global scope of our people and our products and the many ways they work to make the world a better place.”

Owens Corning recorded net sales of US$9.68bn in 2023, down by 1% from US$9.76bn in 2022, while its adjusted earnings before interest and taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew by 2% to US$2.31bn.

UK: The Peatland Progress bog restoration project in Cambridgeshire will plant and harvest bulrushes for use as a raw material in alternative insulation production. The Evening Standard newspaper has reported that trials have successfully produced insulation from bulrushes in Germany and the Netherlands. Peatland Progress holds Euro9.08m in National Lottery funding. The project will rewet peat and restore wetland habitats over 120 hectares of the historic Fens.

Europe: Dow has announced the European launch of V PLUS Perform Next, a polyurethane (PU) insulation product for use in insulated metal panels. V PLUS Perform Next insulation contains alternative raw materials from circular feedstocks, including bio-based feedstocks. Dow allocates the feedstocks based on a mass balance chain of custody, validated by International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC). It produces V PLUS Perform Next using over 25% renewable energy.

Dow PU construction insulation marketing fellow Alberto Mercati said “The new EU Energy Performance of Buildings directive adds urgency for buildings that require energy efficient insulation with decreased embodied carbon. For the last five years, V PLUS Perform has enabled insulated metal panel manufacturers to deliver building envelopes that couple energy efficiency and fire safety. V PLUS Perform Next supports insulated panel manufacturers to select lower carbon and circular construction ingredients from the design phase to the delivery of a novel class of products for more sustainable buildings.”

Germany: Knauf Insulation has launched new overwraps on its global insulation product portfolio. The new packaging reduces ink consumption by 70% through its design, featuring a white or off-white base hue and no more than one additional colour. The wraps are designed to maximise ease and efficiency and reduce cost of recycling. This is in line with Knauf Insulation's commitment to recycle over 25% of packaging by 2025. Within the same timeframe, it also aims to reduce its packaging's virgin plastic consumption by 25% and collect over 35% of delivery pallets for repair and reuse or recycling.

Germany: Ireland-based Kingspan has concluded a deal to acquire mineral wool-based sandwich panels producer Calostat from speciality chemicals company Evonik. Calostat's boards have Cradle to Cradle Gold certification for sustainability and employ a unique moisture management concept.

Kingspan said that the acquisition complements its portfolio and enhances its ability to offer the right type of insulation for every application.