Mineral Wool Insulation Is Made from Resources Abundant in Nature, the Reserves of Which Will Last Us for Millions of Years
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Mineral Wool I Putting Natural Resources to Work for the Benefit of our Planet Made from abundant Safe to resources Efficient to transport use Low carbon footprint Easy to install Energy efficient Reduces air pollution Retains dimensional Recyclable integrity Combats Incombustible Durable noise Mineral wool insulation is made from resources abundant in nature, the reserves of which will last us for millions of years. It uses very little energy to transport or to be put in place, it is easy to install and safe to use. It makes buildings energy efficient, combats noise and reduces air pollution, it is incombustible and retains its dimensional integrity throughout its entire durable life, whilst providing comfort, and leaving an overwhelmingly positive net carbon footprint. When the building’s lifetime comes to an end, it can be recycled into new mineral wool, or converted into other useful products that contribute to a sustainable solution. How many products like this do you know? MINERAL WOOL I BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE I 03 Contents 04 Mineral Wool at a glance 06 Introduction Sustainability, the ultimate driving force for buildings 10 Mineral Wool Insulation the natural sustainable solution 12 Environmental Sustainability Mineral Wool’s commitment to Life Cycle Assessment 14 A Closer Look The Mineral Wool life cycle in its various phases 15 - Production stage 16 - Construction stage 17 - Use stage 19 - End of life stage 20 Social Sustainability Mineral Wool well-being materialised 24 Economic Sustainability Mineral Wool, a committed industry 26 The Mineral Wool Industry a knowledge-based approach to sustainability 28 Eurima in a Nutshell 29 - Associated Members 29 - Affiliated Members 30 - Global Network 31 Footnotes Mineral Wool at a glance Mineral wool insulation can be divided into two main product categories: glass wool and stone/slag wool. Glass wool is made from sand and recycled glass, the same ingredients used in objects such as glass bottles. Stone wool is made from volcanic rock, typically basalt or dolomite, and an increasing share of recycled material in the form of briquettes. MINERAL WOOL I BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE I 05 The benefits of mineral wool insulation throughout its various life- cycle stages (that include material extraction, production, its actual use and end-of-life recovery) are at the heart of its contribution to the “triple bottom line” of sustainability (environment, society, economy). It is a very versatile material, and can be manufactured in many different densities to offer customised shapes and performance levels. The range of products includes loose granular material which is used for blown insulation of cavity walls, slabs for walls, rolls for loft insulation, pre-formed and faced pipe sections, ceiling tiles and acoustic panels. Glass and stone wool products are used in essentially Through its unique combination of thermal, fire and acoustic the same applications, with the largest volume going into properties, mineral wool insulation is specifically “fit-for- thermal insulation of buildings. This is why we have purpose” against low recurring expense and maintenance, taken the building application as a starting point for this making it the customer’s material of choice. These brochure. exceptional properties come from the fibre-like structure that prevents the movement of air, and from mineral wool’s inert chemical composition. Introduction: Sustainability the ultimate driving force for buildings Take a look around you. You are most likely in a building while reading this. Nowadays people spend nearly 90% of their lives indoors. Throughout history, buildings have developed from simple shelters to today’s more modern, comfortable and functional dwellings. MINERAL WOOL I BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE I 07 The increasingly important role buildings play in the overall in buildings, starting with pitched roof insulation, and the socio-economic evolution of our society cannot be ignored: development of always tighter thermal regulations. while personal comfort and well-being were originally the sole drivers for their development, concerns over energy Throughout decades of increasing environmental, societal and costs, air pollution and quality, climate change and scarcity economic concerns, mineral wool insulation has always been of resources have given the economic and environmental an essential part of the buildings solution - whether the issue dimensions of buildings an equal importance. was confort, fuel poverty reduction, air quality, climate change mitigation, job creation or resource efficiency. Indeed, mineral In 1973, the first European oil crisis brought energy dependence wool insulation has always been closely related to all three and energy costs linked to heating and cooling houses to the pillars of sustainable development. fore, resulting in an accelerated use of thermal insulation Buildings’ multi-facetted impact on sustainability... which means increased demand for mineral wool 1950s: 1970s: 1990s: 2000s: 2008: 2010s: Comfort Energy prices/supply Air Quality Climate Change Economic crisis Resource Efficiency Energy use in buildings Cooking Water heating Space heating Lighting & electrical & cooling appliances Source: European Commission Energy use has traditionally been considered the most The impact of buildings, however, is not limited to the prominent effect that our buildings have on sustainability. environmental pillar of sustainability, but also relevant on the Buildings consume energy. Lots of it! Across the European social and economic sides. The construction sector -which Union (EU) buildings1 are responsible for approximately 40% of generates almost 10% of EU’s GDP and provides 20 million jobs, total energy consumption. This is more than for transport (33%) mainly in micro and small enterprises3- has been badly affected and industry (26%). Nearly 70% of this energy consumption is by the crisis. There is a growing consensus that the economic used for heating and cooling our homes, offices and schools. activity generated by a wide-ranging EU scheme for building Today, approximately 85% of the energy use in a building refurbishment would be key in order to put back to work millions can be found in its “use-phase” while the remaining 15% of EU citizens, while making a substantial contribution to the is concentrated in energy used for the manufacture of the reduction of EU energy imports and cutting energy spending in constituent building materials2. European homes. Recent years have witnessed the re-enforcement of Last, but not least, recent EU initiatives on resource efficiency European and national policy initiatives, incentive schemes, have put the spotlight on the need to change our current legislation and standards, pushing for the reduction of energy patterns of resource use, as a key contribution towards a consumption of the housing stock. sustainable future. The recent EU legal obligation for all new constructions to be “nearly-zero-energy buildings” as from 2021 and the obligation for Member States to draw national long-term strategies for the refurbishment of their building stock are vital in this respect. Further, more specific initiatives that target the deep renovation of the existing housing stock would be needed to structurally reduce energy consumption in buildings, especially by maximising the energy performance of the “building-envelope”, where the biggest potential lies. MINERAL WOOL I BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE I 09 The European Mineral Wool industry believes that: • using fewer resources • using better resources • making better use of resources • making better products will lead to increased competitiveness and sustainable growth. This conviction is the red thread of the sustainable construction approach of the European Mineral Wool industry. Mineral Wool Insulation: the natural sustainable solution Apart from its contribution to the sustainability of the individual dwelling, mineral wool insulation makes a substantial contribution to the triple bottom- line of planet, people and profit which is reflected in the three pillars of overall sustainability; namely environmental, social and economic. MINERAL WOOL I BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE I 11 From the environmental From the social From the economic perspective perspective perspective (Page 12 of this brochure): (Page 22 of this brochure): (Page 24 of this brochure): mineral wool contributes to all global mineral wool provides comfort, health, mineral wool insulation contributes to priority areas safety and economic savings the economic development of our society from both a macro and microeconomic Resource Efficiency: mineral wool is A healthy indoor environment: mineral perspective derived from raw natural materials (sand, wool insulation helps maintain an even, dolomite, limestone and basalt) which steady temperature in all rooms and On the macro-economic side: insulating are found in abundance across the eliminates drafts and cold spots. buildings with readily available and globe4. Mineral wool is also increasingly practical solutions such as mineral Reduced outdoor air pollution: EU cities’ made from recycled materials. wool contributes to lowering EU energy inhabitants will experience positive health imports. Currently, the EU imports over Energy Efficiency and Energy Savings: effects due to the significant reduction 60% of its gas and over 80% of its oil9. once converted into mineral wool in the ground-level mass concentration insulation, these abundant resources of main air pollutants.