What are good recyclable insulators?
- Cork Insulation. Cork is among the most common.
- Newspaper Insulation. Rather than putting every newspaper in the recycling bin, keep a few issues.
- Cellulose Insulation.
- Wool Insulation.
- Recycled Denim Insulation.
- Sheep's wool. Not to be confused with rockwool or mineral wool, which are manufactured from fossil fuel-intense processes using mining waste products or basalt rock, sheep wool insulation is 100% all-natural, renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable. ...
- Cork. ...
- Hemp.
What is the best material to use for insulation?
Sheep’s wool makes ideal insulation because the fibers in the wool form millions of tiny air pockets that provide a natural thermo barrier. It’s also water-resistant and fire retardant. Fiberglass board insulation is used to insulate heating ducts and equipment.
What is recycled insulation?
The recycled insulation material consists of polyester fibers that are thermally strengthened at 170°C. Production does not require the addition of chemical or organic binding agents. The recycled material can be use as thermal and sound insulation for pitched roofs, attics, ceilings and wall structures.
What is the most eco friendly way to insulate walls?
Cotton/denim Because cotton is a natural and renewable resource, it is one of the most eco-friendly insulation options on the market. Leftover blue jean scraps are shredded and recycled into thick batts that fit into your walls just like fiberglass.
What can I use instead of fiberglass insulation?
8 Cheap DIY Insulation Alternatives. 1 Types of Insulation. Fiberglass is the most popular type of insulation used in homes, but it’s not necessarily the most effective. It’s cheap, but ... 2 Used Polyiso Insulation. 3 Cellulose. 4 Sheep’s Wool. 5 Fiberglass Board Insulation. More items
What is the most eco-friendly insulation?
Good options for eco-friendly insulation include:Stone mineral wool insulation (usually referred to as Roxul, the main brand)Cellulose.Fiberglass.Hemp.Cotton (denim)Straw bales.
What is eco-friendly insulation?
Eco-Friendly Insulation Benefits Natural, formaldehyde-free materials make eco-friendly insulation products the best choice for a green and healthy home. Unlike fiberglass, insulation materials like wool and cotton are safe to handle and cause no irritation to the skin or respiratory tract.
What is a good natural insulator?
There are three types of natural insulation: Animal-based insulators: sheep wool, feathers and more. Plant-based insulators: hemp, cotton, cellulose, wood fibre, cork and more. Mineral-based insulators: clay, pearlite and vermiculite.
What insulation is made from recycled materials?
A form of cellulose fiber (cotton), denim insulation contains the same advantages of recycled paper. Made of the scraps and clippings from denim manufacturing facilities, recycled denim insulation can be used in place of fiberglass or mineral wool batts between open roof rafters, ceiling joists and wall studs.
Is Cardboard a good insulator?
As regards to its insulation properties, cardboard is actually a great insulator as it has poor thermal conductivity. The definition of conductivity is actually the property of a material to transmit energy.
Is styrofoam a good insulator?
Sometimes polystyrene foam is called Styrofoam but this is a trademarked name, not the technical name. In its expanded form, polystyrene has low thermal conductivity which makes it a great insulator.
Is tin foil a good insulator?
Adding insulation to your home is an easy way to save on energy costs. Aluminum foil, also called tin foil, makes an excellent insulator, and in some situations, it works better than materials like cotton or paper.
Is bubble wrap a good insulator?
Bubble wraps serve as a good insulator because of its design which has small air pockets. Because the base material for bubble wraps are plastic, it heats up quickly, and so bubble wraps serve as good insulators. Bubble wraps are also best suited for greenhouses.
What is the cheapest natural insulation?
The most common form of home insulation is the “batt and roll” or “blanket” type, which is the least expensive to purchase and install. Its most common material is fiberglass, but if you're looking for an alternative, check out these natural fiber options: Mineral wool. Cotton (recycled denim)
Do old clothes make good insulation?
Broken down denim can be converted as insulation for your home to keep you warm on a cold winter's night. Want another way for your old clothes to keep you warm? Set them on fire! No seriously, clothes that are doomed to the landfill are collected and packed into fuel bricks in some parts of Europe.
Can I use old carpet as insulation?
Perhaps that's not as mad as it sounds: waste textiles – old clothes, curtains, carpets – are the latest materials to be developed into insulation to help save energy and lower utility bills.
Can plastic bottles be used as insulation?
Bottles without residues can be used directly as insulation because they contain air. It is the air that provides the insulation. The transparent Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles have become increasingly common and are used for mineral water, soda waters and soft drinks.
First, Why is Insulation so Important?
To understand why insulation is important, we need to understand thermodynamics. It sounds complex but it’s pretty simple. Basically, it tells us that heat moves from areas of high temperature to low temperature. And the age-old saying that heat rises? It’s true, but not always.
How is insulation measured?
Insulation effectiveness is measured by its thermal resistance value, or R-value, a number between 1 and 60 that reflects the material’s resistance to heat transfer. The better the insulation, the higher the R-value. This number is determined by the type of insulation, its thickness, density, and where and how the insulation is installed.
Eco-Friendly Insulation Benefits
Natural, formaldehyde-free materials make eco-friendly insulation products the best choice for a green and healthy home. Unlike fiberglass, insulation materials like wool and cotton are safe to handle and cause no irritation to the skin or respiratory tract.
Types of Eco-Friendly Insulation
You’ve heard of using sheep’s wool in clothing and blankets to keep us warm – but what about in our walls and ceilings? The plush yet fire-resistant material works just in our homes as it does on a sheep. Compressed wool fibers form air pockets that trap air to keep us cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Conclusion?
There’s no right choice when it comes to insulation. Each situation is unique and it’s important to consider all the facts when deciding what material is right for you and your home. Make a list of qualities you want most from your insulation and list them in order of importance.
Case Study on Reconditioning & Recycling
In 2006, INMR visited a unique facility whose main goal was to recondition and/or recycle components such as insulators, removed from lines. The Re-cycling Center and Materials Management Depot in this case belonged to Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais (CEMIG) – a large utility based in Brazil.
Case Study on Repurposing Insulators
Production of porcelain insulators has historically been scattered widely throughout the world. Generally, development of this industry in any one region has depended on two key ingredients – an abundant supply of clay and the entrepreneurs prepared to invest in transforming this material into electrical insulation products.
5: Sheep's Wool
Sheep live in some of world's harshest environments. Dall sheep, for example, love cold climates, including the frigid temperatures of the Arctic. They live on alpine ridges and steep rocky slopes, and are able to adapt to these extreme conditions because of their wool.
4: Cotton
Cotton insulation, like this UltraTouch Denim from Bonded Logic, contains no formaldehyde, which scientists have linked to some types of cancer.
3: Aerogel
If there's a Superman of home insulation, it's aerogel. It has an R-value of R-10.3 per inch of thickness [source: Meinhold ]. So what makes aerogel so super? In a word, air. Chemical engineer Samuel Stephens Kistler first invented aerogel in 1931.
2: Rigid Polystyrene
Polystyrene doesn't sound like a green material. In fact, it's a form of plastic. Yet, polystyrene is a fabulous insulator with R-values that range from R-3.8 to R-4.4 per inch of thickness, and so it's considered green because it helps save so much energy [source: U.S. Department of Energy ].
1: Icynene
The puffy sponge cake-like insulation known as Icynene creates a blanket of insulation that tightly seals air leaks.
Home insulation with denim
The pair of jeans you sent for recycling may end up being used as insulation for your home. There are some companies, such as Bonded Logic, which have introduced some innovative products made out of 90% recycled denim with 10% cotton fibers to create unique insulation for homes.
Stone insulation
If you want to insulate home using recycled materials, then you can consider a mix of stone, rock and sand as an alternative insulation material. The material is a sand based product, a blend of recycled glass and sand.
Polyester Insulation
Polyester fibers are used in insulation as the fiber can trap air in and around it. The fiber has the effect of a carpet on walls and ceilings. InsulPro is one of the pioneering companies in polyester insulation.
Cork Insulation
Cork is considered to be one of the best natural insulators. It is durable but expensive, but it is a worthwhile investment as it is beneficial for the health of your family. There are no glues used in cork insulation process, as the cork granules’ natural substance called suberin, binds the granules to make boards.
Sheep wool insulation
To insulate home using recycled materials, wool is a good option. The products have excellent capacity to resist moisture and fire. Sheep wool is a sustainable material as well. It is produced in energy efficient manner than synthetic products.
Hemp and wood insulation
These two materials became popular as sustainable materials to insulate home using recycled materials in Europe a few years back. The material is available in formats of rigid boards, flexible batts and loose fill. When the boards are made using wet process, an additive is used for moisture protection, but the wood is glued by pressure and heat.
Cellulose
Cellulose is another insulate home using recycled materials, as it is derived from discarded paper or sawdust. It is generally available as a loose fill material. Be careful while choosing the manufacturer, as some unscrupulous ones use virgin wood to make this insulation, instead of using wood which has already been used for other purposes.
WHY ASSESS INSULATION
Insulation is one of the most crucial parts of the building process. Not only does it serve to protect us against the elements, but the right insulation will drastically reduce your utility bills by maintaining an ideal indoor climate, minimizing the need to continuously run the heater during cold seasons and the A/C during warm seasons.
THE SCORING SYSTEM EXPLAINED
To create the ranking above, One Community decided upon 5 priorities for an insulation product. The categories are as follows, ranked in the order of greatest to least importance: Health and Safety, Sustainability, Cost, DIYability, and Durability.
LEED MATERIALS POINTS EXPLAINED
LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system propagated by the US Green Building Council as the leading standard for green buildings worldwide.
