Insulation materials and environment

Insulation foam manufacturers have already switched their production to hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), which are much more benign to environment than CFCc (they involve only a 1/20 of the negative effect of CFCs). But you should prefer insulating foams also without HCFC's.

Avoid insulation materials with CFCs and HCFCs

Avoid insulating materials with chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). They are ozone-depleting compounds, and a source of pollution.

In the past foam insulation contained CFC's, but most of the current foams are made with pentane gas and other chemicals with no CFC's or HCFC's.

Package labels

It is not only easy to know weather insulation foams contain CFC's or HCF's. Most of them doesn't contain, but many manufacturers do not list the eventual content of CFC's or HCF's on their product package labels.

Recycled Materials

Whenever possible, consider insulating materials made from recycled materials. Cellulose insulation is a major green product: cellulose insulation is 80% recycled newspaper.

Mineral wool is also a traditional material with an high percentage of recycled content (often above 70%, according with North American Insulation Manufacturers Association).

Fiberglass Insulation

The larger three North-American fiberglass manufacturers - Schuller International, CertainTeed and Owens Corning - are using a minimum of 20% recycled glass in their insulation products, complying with the EPA recycled-content guidelines.

Also in America, some companies use recycled plastic resin in Extruded and Expanded Polystyrene Production.

Sprayed foams

Today, many sprayed foams are "environmentally-friendly". Most of them do not contain CFC's, HCFCs or other harmful organic compounds, and although based on fuel fossils, since they have higher R-values per inch than other greener insulation products, they allow higher energy savings and, indirectly, lower CO2 emissions. See: Spray-on foam insulation