Knauf Insulation has become the first and only insulation manufacturer in Europe to have its Glass Mineral Wool product range accredited as DECLARE ‘Red List Free’. It follows the certification of its Supafil Blowing Wool range last year.
The DECLARE label allows merchants and distributors to see what is in a product to help them make informed choices. It includes a ‘nutrition-style’ list of ingredients, and whether it contains chemicals featured on the DECLARE ‘Red List’ – substances designated as harmful to health and the environment, such as added formaldehyde. It also includes information about where a product comes from.
“As demand for green construction grows, DECLARE labels will provide increasingly important third-party verification of sustainability claims made by manufacturers,” explained Vanessa Rae, Marketing Director at Knauf Insulation Northern Europe. “DECLARE labels will allow people across the industry to assess the environmental impact of the products they are selling, specifying, or using.”
The use of ‘Red List Free’ products is already a key factor in achieving credits in Green Building Rating Systems such as LEED and the Well Building Standard. This means the DECLARE label can be used by architects, housebuilders and installers to support their own sustainability and health and safety credentials.
To achieve the DECLARE label, Knauf Insulation has disclosed the entire composition of its Glass Mineral Wool products. Its Glass Mineral Wool insulation is manufactured from up to 80% recycled content, mainly used bottles and jars collected locally from household waste. Another key factor in it achieving DECLARE ‘Red List Free’ status is ECOSE® Technology, the company’s unique bio-based binder, which contains no added formaldehyde or phenol – substances which feature on the DECLARE ‘Red List’.
DECLARE aims to provide transparency around sustainability and health and safety. Compliance is clearly stated at the bottom of the label and products certified by DECLARE are listed on a free database which can be accessed at declare.living-future.org.
For further information on DECLARE certification, visit: www.knaufinsulation.co.uk/declare.
