SPONSOR: KNAUF INSULATION

Sustainability Is Driving Our Business

We know that sustainability in buildings is affected by more than just energy efficiency. It is also about the sustainability of construction products. Combined with an increased regulatory focus on resource efficiency, this means that we need to better understand the “environmental footprint” of our products. To this end we have started to apply our Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) program across product ranges in all our manufacturing facilities and have taken steps to ensure that its principles are embedded in our ‘company DNA’. We’ve also widened our product range, extending ECOSE® Technology, our award winning formaldehyde-free binder technology, to new applications. We will continue studying the key sustainability characteristics of our products to improve not only the products themselves but the practical matters related to their specification and installation. Learn more about our commitment to sustainability by reviewing GAF’s 2011 Corporate Sustainability Report included here in Vision 2020.

News From Knauf Insulation

Greenguard Certifies Full Knauf Product Line

GreenGuard Certifies Full Knauf Product Line. Knauf Insulation’s entire line of building insulation products, including all EcoSeal™ System products, are verified by the Greenguard Environmental Institute as formaldehyde free.  This verification is in addition to the certification to the stringent Greenguard Children & Schools standard. Knauf Insulation is the first insulation company to independently verify its entire line of building insulation products as formaldehyde free through Greenguard.

The Greenguard is an ISO Guide 65 accredited, third-party organization that certifies products and materials for low chemical emissions and provides resources for choosing healthier products and materials for indoor environments.

ECOSE® Bio-Based Binder Sets New Standard

ECOSE® Technology is a revolutionary, sustainable proprietary binder technology based on rapidly renewable bio-based materials rather than petroleum-based chemicals commonly used in traditional insulation product binders. ECOSE Technology converts natural, rapidly renewable bio-based materials into an inert polymer for superior environmental sustainability, and does not contain phenol, formaldehyde, acrylics or artificial colors. By reducing the binder embodied energy up to 70% compared to our traditional insulation binder, ECOSE Technology reduces the total embodied energy of EcoBatt® Insulation by approximately 4%. Eliminating the non-renewable petroleum-based chemicals found in our traditional insulation binders also reduces cost instability associated with those chemicals. And, ECOSE Technology eliminates phenol and formaldehyde from the manufacturing process, which in turn eliminates their plant emissions.

• Regenerative Design
• Sustainable Communities
• Energy and Carbon
• Materials and Resources
• Water Efficiency
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Products and Performance
• Building Systems Research
• Market Transformation
• Green Building Codes, Standards, and Rating Systems