Recycled insulation and other environmental considerations to consider

Last year’s Deloitte survey into behaviours and attitudes around sustainability showed that “there is a sharp increase in the number of people who have adopted a more sustainable lifestyle”. At YBS Insulation, too, we have noticed that environmental considerations are becoming increasingly important when selecting insulation material, both to homeowners and companies (which tend to have a competitive advantage in the current marketplace if they prioritise sustainability and reduce their carbon footprint). In what follows, we talk about recycled insulation and other factors to pay attention to when buying insulation material with sustainability and the environment in mind.

Recycled insulation

To prevent the further depletion of natural resources, it is first of all worthwhile to look into the use of recycled materials in the manufacturing of insulation materials. At YBS, we use as much recycled content as possible. Both our SuperQuilt Lite and our ThermaQuilt multifoils are manufactured using 84% recycled materials. SuperQuilt and SuperQuilt Trade contain 83% recycled content, while BreatherQuilt is at 72% and Breathe-R Ultra is at 70% with its recycled polyester wadding.

Recycled packaging

According to the Deloitte survey, consumers are not only looking for environmentally friendly products; sustainable packaging also tops the list of sustainable practices they value. In April 2022, the UK government established the Plastic Packaging Tax. Companies must pay it if they manufacture or import plastic packaging components which contain less than 30% recycled plastic. At YBS, we go beyond what is required, using 100% recycled and recyclable materials for our packaging.

Made in the UK

A second way to reduce your carbon footprint is by buying local products. YBS manufactures all our insulation materials in the United Kingdom. This means that our products don’t have to travel as far to get to our customers, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with transport. As a proud member of the ‘Made in the UK’ network, we also support local economic development and employment.

Eco-friendly installation

Lastly, our eco-friendly insulation can be installed in an eco-friendly way. Many insulation materials are still currently installed with glues. However, this poses a significant obstacle to constructing circular buildings where you should be able to disassemble and reuse every element. To achieve full reusability of our insulation products, we have developed them with a straightforward, no-glue installation process in mind: unrolling the insulation over the rafters or joists and securing it in place with staples, followed by sealing the overlaps with tape to prevent cold barriers.

Government incentives

The UK government provides several incentives for homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient. In addition to the ECO+ scheme that was launched in April, you can receive financial support for installing insulation, double-glazed windows, renewable heating systems or taking other measures to improve your home’s thermal performance via the Energy Company Obligation (ECO).

Recycled insulation and other environmental considerations to consider