Credit: ©BASF 2026
US: Germany-based BASF has launched WallTite RSB, a reduced-CO2 closed-cell spray polyurethane foam insulation that incorporates recycled and other alternative raw materials. WallTite RSB has pending United States Department of Agriculture BioPreferred certification and is subject to a manufacturer-specific Environmental Product Declaration. The ‘RSB’ in the product’s name stands for recycled, sustainable and bio-based.
Ukraine: The International Finance Corporation has estimated that Ukraine requires US$3.86bn of investments in ‘advanced building materials’ to meet demand during its eventual full reconstruction following the on-going Russian invasion. This is 0.7% of a projected US$500bn over a decade of rebuilding.
Ukraine Business News has reported that the nation requires an additional 6Mm²/yr of precast concrete (projected costs: US$1.5bn), 8Mt/yr of geopolymers (US$1.36bn), 700,000t/yr of basalt wool (US$420m), 100,000t of basalt reinforcement (US$420m), 1Mm³/yr of autoclaved aerated concrete (US$100m), 8Mm²/yr of glazing (US$72m), US$50m of 3D printing construction equipment and 500,000t/yr of hemp concrete (US$20m). All this would generate an estimated 17,000 new jobs.
US: A team at the University of Colorado Boulder has developed a new silicone gel-based insulation called Mesoporous Optically Clear Heat Insulator (MOCHI). In a paper published in Science, the team reported that MOCHI consists of 90% air in a microscopic porous lattice. A 5mm-thick sheet can effectively block the heat of a flame, while reflecting just 0.2% of its light. This makes the material suitable for use in windows.
Researcher Ivan Smalyukh said "To block heat exchange, you can put a lot of insulation in your walls, but windows need to be transparent. Finding insulators that are transparent is really challenging."
US: Havelock Wool has launched its sheep’s wool insulation across the US, now in stock online at retailer The Home Depot. The move aims to advance Havelock Wool’s aspiration to get ‘More wool in more walls.’ EIN Presswire News has reported that the company will now commence a ‘prudent’ scale-up of its insulation production.
Founder Andrew Legge said "This step highlights a broader consumer shift toward healthier, sustainable choices. The main hurdle to meaningful growth has been logistics cost and our inability to compete with big companies on an unlevel playing field. By partnering with The Home Depot, we can now cost-effectively deliver the healthiest, most sustainable high-performance insulation product on the market to all homes."
