Armacell Eco-Cycle: Return service for surplus insulation materials
Recycling elastomeric insulation materials; protecting the environment; support for the trade
Münster, 20 Februrary 2017 – Armacell is now the first manufacturer of elastomeric insulation materials to introduce a return system for its off-cuts. Both the environment and the trade benefit from the new Armacell Eco-Cycle: surplus insulation materials are collected on the construction site and then picked up by arrangement. In this way Armacell eases the workload for its partners in the trade.
Conserving valuable resources
The increasing scarcity of resources is one of the greatest challenges of our times. Whereas in the traditional economic system industrial processes run linearly – goods are simply disposed of when they reach the end of their life-cycle – in the sustainable recycling economy the aim is to restrict waste and use it optimally. Already very successful for paper and glass in many European countries, this practice is now being introduced in the construction sector. Recycling off-cuts not only takes the pressure off landfill sites, it also reduces raw material consumption. In Germany, under the recycling and waste management act, the installer as the waste producer is liable for disposing of construction waste properly. With the Eco-Cycle return system Armacell supports its partners in the trade in disposing of waste.
What happens to the returned material?
It is much more difficult to recycle elastomeric insulation materials than PET, polyethylene or other thermoplastics. Armacell has developed a process which allows elastomeric materials to be used in the manufacturing of new products. Insulation tubes and sheets which do not meet the company’s high quality standards are already fed back into the production process. Very soon Armacell will present products made entirely of recycled material for defined applications.
An active contribution to environmental protection
Throughout the world, the construction industry is one of the most resource-intensive business sectors and is responsible for 30 - 40 % of waste globally. In Germany, construction and demolition waste accounted for no less than 50 % of the total waste volume in 2010. Thus the building sector is not only the largest single source of global raw material use and responsible for 40 % of green¬house gas emissions worldwide, but also the largest producer of waste. As yet reuse and recycling are only common for mineral materials, steel and copper. Armacell is now the first manufacturer of flexible technical insulation materials to take back off-cuts and feed them back into the production cycle. Building waste is reduced and valuable resources conserved. In this way, together with its partners in the trade, the company actively protects the environment.
Outstanding environmental balance
At Armacell sustainability doesn’t stop at the factory gates. As the world market leader for flexible technical insulation materials, which protect equipment against energy losses in millions of applications throughout the world, the com¬pany makes a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gases. ArmaFlex saves 140 times more energy than is used in its production! To ensure that resources are employed as efficiently as possible, Armacell is constantly look¬ing for ways to reduce the raw material use, energy consumption and waste rate. In 2015, it was the first manufacturer of FEFs to present environmental product declarations based on an independently conducted lifecycle assess¬ment. These form the basis for planning green buildings in accordance with certification schemes such as LEED, BREEAM or DGNB.
Tip: Further information on Armacell Eco-Cycle can be found at www.armacell.eu. Or send an email to info.de(at)armacell.com to order the brochure!