Germany: Insulation installation start-up Varm has secured €5.7m in seed funding to expand its operations across Europe. The round was led by Emerge and Pale Blue Dot, with contributions from Noa, Foundamental and previous investors.
CEO Christian Gruener said “We are building a scalable infrastructure for insulation. This funding will help us expand and innovate, making insulation more accessible and affordable for everyone.”
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."
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.
Spain: Knauf Ibérica has announced the launch of Etiks, a façade system comprised of Aquapanel Outdoor mineral wool and expanded polystyrene boards. Alimarket-Construcción News has reported that the system is compatible with Knauf ColorMix technology, enabling rapid on-site colouring of finishes or primers.
Product manager Isabel Gómez said "The external thermal insulation composite system is very interesting for refurbishing or constructing buildings for energy efficiency, greater comfort and savings in air conditioning."
