Recycled clothes to insulate buildings

Every year, each person in France throws away an average of 12 kilos of clothing. What if these textiles could be used to insulate buildings? That's the challenge facing ISOVER, which is launching a new biobased insulation material from recycled textiles: Isocoton. 

Isocoton
© 2022 Raphael Demaret

Building (or renovating) in a sustainable way is a challenge that ISOVER has been meeting for over 20 years with its multi-material solutions. But the climate emergency is now bringing new challenges to the fore, such as the availability of raw materials and the circular economy.  

Hence the launch of Isocoton, a high-performance, biobased insulation material made from locally recycled textiles that is soft to the touch, easy to install and made in France. A responsible alternative for the interior insulation of buildings. 

This solution arose from the observation that the French throw away 12 kg of clothing per year, which represents a source of nearly 600,000 metric tons of textiles. A raw material that is under-exploited and which now joins a virtuous circular economy to insulate buildings! 

To do this, ISOVER recovers used textiles, frays the fibers and assembles them to form panels that are very soft to the touch. Flexible and comfortable, this solution does not produce dust. Available in several thicknesses, it is easy to install and can meet all interior insulation needs (partitions, walls, attics or converted roof cavities, ceilings). Its thermal performance (λ=37) makes it one of the best performing biobased insulating materials on the market, with sound insulation equivalent to glass wool (Par Phonic) or wood fiber (Isonat) solutions. 

Isocoton has even joined forces with Placo® to combine their expertise. Whether for partitions, wall linings or ceilings, these systems make it possible to meet the growing demand for biobased materials in establishments open to the public (hospitals, schools, collective housing). Isocoton is also eligible for renovation grants. 

This virtuous and circular solution completes the wide range of ISOVER products, which is increasingly committed to sustainable construction. In particular, the brand has set itself the target of having over 80% cullet (recycled glass) in the composition of its glass wool by 2025.