April 20, 2005—A recent survey of members of the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) found a commitment to using pre and post consumer recycled materials in their insulation products.
According to the survey, NAIMA members utilized more than 1.6 billion pounds of recycled post consumer glass and blast furnace slag in the manufacturing process of thermal and acoustical insulation. In the last decade, NAIMA members have used close to 21 billion pounds of recycled materials, the survey found.
Fiber glass insulation is manufactured using a combination of recycled glass, up to 40 percent, depending on the manufacturer and the specific plant, as well as the base material of glass, which is sand, a renewable and widely available resource.
Slag wool insulation is manufactured from blast furnace slag, a byproduct of steel manufacturing. This secondary material would be sent to the landfill if not for its reclamation by manufacturers of products like slag wool insulation.
While manufacturing of fiber glass and slag wool insulation is an energy intensive process, a typical pound of fiber glass, rock wool or slag wool insulation will save more than 12 times the amount of energy used to produce in its first year of use alone.
For more information, visit the NAIMA Web site.
