Environmentally friendly
One of the biggest contributors to global warming is Carbon Dioxide (CO2). The way we use energy in buildings causes emissions of Carbon. In fact, buildings are responsible for some 40 percent of the energy used and CO2 emitted in Europe and North America. Two thirds of this energy is used for heating and cooling properties. Most of this energy is wasted because of inadequate insulation. Energywise houses consume much less energy than standard buildings and thus help to save some of this energy. In fact, energy efficiency techniques can save up to 90 % of the energy used for heating. If all buildings undergoing renovation were modernised to current energy standards, energy costs of €270 billion and 460 million tonnes of CO2 could be saved every year in Europe.
Life cycle impacts of Paroc Stone wool
Paroc Stone wool is an environmentally friendly and an efficient way to insulate a building. It also saves costs. Compared to the savings Paroc Stone wool generates over its life time, manufacturing the material uses only one percent of energy. Paroc Stone wool can also be recycled or disposed safely at a later stage.
Raw material of Paroc Stone wool
Raw material of Paroc Stone wool is over 95% stone
- PAROC stone wool is made of natural stone.
- Stone wool consist of ~98% air and ~2 % stone fibers from its volume.
- Studies show that PAROC stone wool does not generate any hazardous emissions into the atmosphere.
- Stone is also described as an inexhaustible natural resource: stone will be available for the entire lifetime of humanity.
Production
Environmental management system certificate
Paroc has been granted ISO 1400 certificate. This indicates that environmental aspects like emissions into air, waste handling, utilization of natural resources and energy efficiency are are paid attention in Paroc and the environmental impacts of production are constantly improved.
Energy balance is extremely positive
- Stone wool products saves much more energy than requires.
- Producing stone wool requires only half of the energy needed to manufacture other types of insulation (cellulose, flax)
- The energy balance becomes positive only in a few months after installation. (Source: Force Technology/ dk-Teknik)
Waste Recycling
Waste material generated by cutting the boards in production is used as a raw material for new stone wool products reducing the amount of new stone raw material needed.
Logistics
An efficient transportation
- High compression ratio and elasticity of Stone wool means that low density products can be packed up to half of their nominal volume.
→ Fewer lorries are required
- Although traffic and transportation affect the environment, material transports still have to be taken care of.
- The objective is to minimize unnecessary idle running and always keep vehicles loaded.
- A clear increase in efficiency is already evident: transport vehicles are loaded for about 80 % of the distance driven.
- The tansport distancies are not long since the factories are centrally located close to the market areas.
Plastic waste
- In most countries there are existing systems for plastic waste collection.
- Paroc is paying a yearly fee for the amount of plastic wrapping used each year. This fee cover the society’s costs for building up collection systems.
- Paroc accept also plastic waste to be returned to some of the factories.
Pallet recycling
Most of the pallets Paroc is using today are so called one-way-pallets.
→ Old wooden pallets can be used as an energy source in e.g. power stations.
Specified pallets in good condition can be sent back to the nearest factory.
Pallet Re-use
With Roof products in Sweden Paroc is using Stone wool pallets
- After transportation Stone wool pallets can be used as part of the insulation in the roof →Minimum amount of waste!
Installation
Waste Re-use
- Up to 5 % of the used volume is becoming waste during installation
- We recommend the use of optimal product size available
- Waste should be used there where it’s generated to avoid extra transportation.
- The stone wool cutting waste can be used as an attic insulation together with blowing wool.
Waste back to factory
- Pre–fabrication house industry generates up to 5 % stone wool waste during the process.
- In some countries the waste is collected and sent either to the Paroc factory or to the blowing wool contractor
- The waste could then be recycled or re-used.
Make blowing wool
- The waste can be processed with a special shredder machine to be re-used for example for roof insulation.
End Use
Requirements of sustainable building:
- Efficient use of energy
- Minimization of emissions
- Utilization of by-products and recycling
- Ascertaining of service life
- Flexibility
Energy efficiency
- For each tonne of CO2 generated in the manufacturing process of stone wool about 200 tonnes of CO2 are saved by its thermal insulation properties over a 50-year period.
- Better thermal insulation = less energy needed = great savings!
Demolition: Re-use of used material
- Used stone wool is suitable for re-use as thermal insulation at a new site, provided that the material can be extracted intact from its previous location.
- Stone wool recovered from demolition sites can also be crushed and used as frost insulation in lightly loaded soil structures (licensed)
- Paroc stone wool can safely be used as a landfill or soil structure.