Insulation & the environment
Our natural insulation materials have an exceptionally low impact on the environment.
Recycled and renewable materials
Warmcel 100 puts to good use paper which would otherwise go to landfill. When, eventually, it is removed from a building, it can be recycled again or disposed of safely, without creating toxic waste or biodegradeability problems.
Thermafleece uses blended sheepswool from British hill sheep. This wool is often of low economic value, so the production of Thermafleece is renewable, recyclable and is promoting the economies of some of the poorest rural areas in the UK.
Thermafleece PB20 is made from 60% sheep's wool and recycled polyester. It contains the coarse wool of British hill sheep which is unsuitable for many common applications.
Thermal efficiency
Warmcel 100, Thermafleece, Thermafleece PB20 are effective insulation materials, which can perform as well as, or even better than equivalent conventional insulation materials. By reducing heating demand, they can play an important part in reducing household carbon dioxide emissions. It is important to provide sufficient thickness to produce the required thermal insulation value, and consequently reduce the emissions of CO2 from a building. For loft insulation, Green Building Store recommends an insulation thickness of at least 300mm (above current Building Regulations, which recommend 270mm thickness).
Embodied energy
The 'embodied energy', that is the energy used in manufacture and transportation can also be taken into account in reducing the impact of a building on the environment. Warmcel 100, Thermafleece and Thermafleece PB20 also save energy during production. The amount of energy needed to make our natural insulations is a fraction of other insulation materials.
| Energy consumption in manufacture | MJ/Kg |
| Thermafleece | 14.6 |
| Thermafleece PB20 | 15 |
| Warmcel 100 | |
| Typical mineral wool batt | 28 |
Toxic emissions
Neither insulation has an effect on the ozone layer. Some other
insulation materials currently still use blowing agents which have an
Ozone Depletion Potential. Warmcel and Thermafleece have none.
Neither
Warmcel 100 or Thermafleece contains any added formaldehyde (unlike
insulation quilts), and both are completely free from volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) or other toxic substances.
Conventional insulation
Mineral fibre insulation
Information on mineral fibre insulation is available through the following links:
- www.osha.gov/SLTC/syntheticmineralfibers/
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_wool
- www.eurima.org/using_mineral_wool/health_aspects.html
- www.ilo.org/
- www.workershealth.com.au/facts019.html
- www.devonline.gov.uk/
Sheet insulation
Sheet
insulation materials include polystyrene, polyurethane and
polyisocyanurate boards. Many of these were until recently, or still
are, blown with gases which deplete the ozone layer. Some are now
available which are Zero ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential), which means
that the blowing gases won't damage the ozone layer. All of these
boards will need to be Zero ODP by 2004.
These insulation
materials have the best insulation value of any commonly available
insulation material, but they do require large amounts of energy to
produce, and consequently have high 'embodied energy'.
In
general these insulation are best used, where no easy alternative is
available for vertical applications, masonry cavities and lining attic
roofslopes.
Loose fill insulations
Insulations such as vermiculite derive from naturally occurring minerals which are processed at high temperatures. The energy used in production is therefore relatively high. They are unsuitable for typical loft applications because of their tendency to move with air movement, potentially leaving areas uninsulated.