Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

France: Isover France has launched Isover Recycling, a closed-loop recycling service for construction and demolition glass wool waste. The new service has been developed in partnership with recycling specialists. It aims to reduce glass wool dumping in landfill and increase the proportion of recycled content in Isover’s glass wool insulation products. The Isover Recycling service is currently being deployed in two pilot areas: South-East France and Ile-de-France. It will then be rolled-out across the rest of the country. Other countries like Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden already offer construction site waste recycling services.

US: The National Insulation Association (NIA) has appointed Daniel Bofinger as its president for 2018 – 2019. The appointment was approved following a vote by the NIA members at its 63rd Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida, which took place in mid-April 2018. Bofinger is the Regional Vice President–East of FBM-SPI, which is based in Tustin, California. He has worked for FBM-SPI and its legacy companies for over 35 years.

The executive committee of the NIA for 2018 – 2019 includes Dan Bofinger, FBM-SPI as president, Dana Vlk, Distribution International as president-elect, John Lamberton, Irex Contracting Group as secretary and treasurer, Dave Cox, Owens Corning as assistant treasurer and Darrel Bailey, Performance Contracting as the immediate past president.

Regional board members include Jim Gribbins, Gribbins Insulation Company representing the Central States Insulation Association (CSIA), Joe Leo, Atlantic Contracting & Specialties representing the Eastern States Insulation Contractors Association (ESICA), Jeffrey DeGraaf, Industrial Construction & Engineering representing the Midwest Insulation Contractors Association (MICA), Matt Caldwell, Caldwell Insulation representing the Southeastern Insulation Contractors Association (SEICA), Mike Feehery, FBM-SPI, representing the Southwest Insulation Contractors Association (SWICA) and Rick Sutphin, Performance Contracting representing the Western Insulation Contractors Association (WICA).

So called ‘At Large’ members include Michael G Benoit, General Insulation Company, Laura Wells Dover, Dover Insulation, Jake Erickson, Rockwool Technical Insulation, Reid (Huck) Finn, APi, John K Freeman, Petrin, Rudy Nigl, L & C Insulation and John Stevens, Thermal Solutions. Jack Bittner, Johns Manville/Industrial Insulation Group will be an associate member.

Bofinger has also selected Ronald King, NIA consultant and honorary member, and Steve Luse, Luse Thermal Technologies, as his past president advisors. NIA’s executive vice president and chief executive officer Michele M Jones and General Counsel, Gary Auman of Auman, Mahan & Furry, will be advising and counselling the executive committee and the board of directors.

Turkey: Austria’s Austrotherm has opened a 400,000m³/yr expanded polystyrene (EPS) plant in Ankara. It is its third insulation plant in the country. The project cost Euro2m. The site has created 14 jobs. The company entered the Turkish market in 2008 and built its second plant near Izmir in 2013.

UK: A leaked report by the by fire investigation specialists BRE Global has blamed a poor cladding refurbishment on a lethal fire at the Grenfell Tower in London on 14 June 2017. The document, leaked to the Evening Standard newspaper, found multiple deficiencies in the installation of the windows, cavity barriers and cladding system, and their failure to meet building regulations.

The report described insulation used in the refurbishment as ‘combustible’ and said that it provided a medium for the fire to, ‘spread up, across and within sections of the façade.’ BRE noted that the 75mm insulation foam used on most of the spandrel beams had, ‘no markings to identify the manufacturer of the foam.’ The Evening Standard says that 100mm Celotex foam insulation was also used in the columns but that the BRE report does not further distinguish between the two types.

71 people were killed in the fire that took place on 14 June 2017. The draft BRE report was submitted to the Metropolitan Police Service as part of its investigation.

Poland: Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says that his government will spend Euro7.2bn on measures to reduce air emissions including financing home insulation. Other measures in the programme include support for ‘green’ heating system, according to Radio Poland. The announcement follows the government’s support for a bill in March 2018 banning low-quality coal for domestic use.

According to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), 33 of Europe's 50 most polluted cities are in Poland. The WHO estimates that around 50,000 citizens die each year due to air pollution-related conditions.