Can we insulate without hurting our planet? Yes we can!

The materials generally used to insulate our homes wouldn't exactly be considered eco-friendly or even safe for that matter.   Though these insulation products have improved over the last 20 years, the fiberglass and foam products used today are still harmful to our environment and the workers installing them. Even though today's fiberglass and foam products contain some recycled content, they also contain hydrochlorofluorocarbons  which damage the Earth's ozone layer. Fortunately, we do have alternatives to fiberglass and foam insulation.  The short list of these eco-friendly insulating products include wool, cotton (recycled denim),  and recycled plastic.  Natural wool insulation first developed in Europe and there is one product currently available in the U.S. called SheepRoll.  The product is manufactured by the British company Black Mountain and it's mainly comprised of natural and sustainable sheep wool.  Wool insulation is not only breathable but also able to absorb, retain and release moisture without affecting its thermal properties or performance.  It's fire resistant and will maintain it's thermal properties far better than other insulation products.

Another insulation alternative is cotton and it's primarily manufactured using recycled denim jeans.  Like wool, there is only one product being sold on the U.S. market called UltraTouch Denim Insulation.  UltraTouch is produced by the U.S. company Bonded Logic.  This insulation product has a low thermal resistance and is sold more as an around the house insulation used to fill in any gaps in the home or around kitchen and plumbing appliances.  The last of our short list is called Supaloft Polyster insulation and produced by another British company called Thermafleece.  Thermafleece is apparently the original manufacturer of wool insulation in Europe.   Supaloft Green Insulation is manufactured from 95% recycled PET and it provides excellent thermal insulation performance.  Supaloft Green is long-lasting, safe to handle and can be easily recycled at the end of its life.   Unfortunately, we could not find this product available on the U.S. market.

In all honesty, the current eco-friendly insulation products available are far more expensive per square foot than standard fiberglass and foam products.  However, in the case of wool insulation the product will last far longer providing a far more consistent thermal insulation.  Products like fiberglass tend to deplete over time because of moisture fluctuations.  Though we're encouraged by the products available we would be delighted to see more eco-friendly insulation products on the market.  We'd also love to see more U.S. manufacturers getting involved in the cause, we can't be letting those blokes across the pond lead the way, jk!  But seriously good job Great Britain!