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Recycled Denim Insulation Basics
Essentially a form of cellulose insulation, made from old jeans and fabric. Joyce at Greenstrides describes it:
| Made up of 85% post-industrial (factory scraps) recycled natural denim and cotton fibers, denim insulation is also 100% recyclable. 10% consists of a boron-based fire retardant which impedes growth of fungus, mold, and resists pests. Boron is a low-toxic, naturally-occurring mineral that is mined in the deserts of California and elsewhere. The remaining 5% is polyolefin fibers that are used as the glue that holds the batts together. |
Why we like it
It's made completely from recycled materials.
What we worry about
No better at insulating than fiberglass or cellulose, has all the problems of any batt re settling, vapour barriers etc. May make mice very comfortable. Advertisements show babies sleeping on it to demonstrate its safety; material data safety information suggests that masks should be worn when installing because of the borax added.
Eco-factor of Denim Insulation
Why is shipping jeans from all over the country to a plant in Texas and then shipping them back considered particularly green?
Bonded Logic, the manufacturer, answers the question: They don't, the stuff is NOT shipped all over the country. While there are some charity campaigns that pick up denim, it is a very small percentage of what is made into recycled denim insulation.
Bonded Logic informs us that it is sustainable for a number of reasons. It is primarily comprised of post-industrial recycled denim; This is all the scrap and waste material from the manufacturing of blue jeans and other cotton based textiles. This waste material is now diverted from the landfill and given another life cycle by being transformed into UltraTouch insulation. UltraTouch diverts approximately 300 tons of landfill waste each month.
Alex Wilson of Building Green toured their factory and likes the stuff.
More at Bonded Logic and TreeHugger
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Green Your Home for Winter: Add Attic Insulation
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