Reduce, Reuse, Recycle = Recycling
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, commonly referred to as Recycling is one of the most feel-good and useful environmental practices around. The benefits go way beyond reducing piles of trash — recycling protects ecosystem diversity with the added benefit of saving energy, reduced water consumption and resource savings, such as crude oil, trees and metal ores. Recycling also cuts global warming by reducing pollution from manufacturing, land-filling and incinerating.
Recycling means a lot more than bringing your newspapers and cans to the curb. Truly successful recycling involves minimizing waste along the entire life cycle of a product, from acquiring raw materials to manufacturing, using and disposing of a product. Most environmental impacts associated with the products we buy occur before we open the package, so buying products made from recycled materials or buying a reclaimed product is just as important as sorting waste into the right bins.
Recycled insulation materials have several advantages over new materials:
- Environmental benefits: Recycling insulation materials reduces the demand for virgin materials, which reduces the environmental impact of insulation production. It also reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.
- Cost savings: Recycled insulation materials are often less expensive than new materials, which can help reduce the overall cost of a construction or renovation project.
- Performance: Recycled insulation materials can be just as effective as new materials in terms of thermal performance and other important characteristics.
- Availability: Recycled insulation materials are often more widely available than new materials, especially in areas where resources are scarce or where there is a demand for locally sourced materials.
- Durability: Many types of recycled insulation materials, such as the rigid foam boards sold by Green Insulation Group, have equivalent insulating properties as new material, and are highly durable and can last for many years.
Overall, using recycled insulation materials can help reduce the environmental impact of construction and renovation projects, while also providing cost savings and good performance. Reusing insulation materials to improve building energy efficiency doubles the environmental benefit, and also saves you money for years.