Metal Building Insulation: It’s Sustainable!

By the National Insulation Association (NIA) Metal Building Laminator Committee

Sustainable development requires an integrated approach that takes into consideration environmental concerns along with economic development. 

In 1987, the United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as, “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Today, there are almost 140 developing countries in the world seeking ways of meeting their development needs; but with the increasing threat of climate change, concrete efforts must be made to ensure development today does not negatively affect future generations.

We are in the construction business. We love seeing growth and development. But at what cost to our environment and natural resources? Focusing on using materials and systems that will help save energy and resources is a strong way to improve our world's environment.

Recycled Materials

Manufacturing fiberglass is environmentally friendly because it is created from recycled glass—sometimes more than 50% of its raw materials are recycled. Think of glass bottles, windows, and automobile windshields thrown away in landfills. According to the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA), using recycled glass reduces the demand on virgin resources, saves landfill space, and diverts glass containers and slag from the solid waste stream. Since the industry’s recycling program began in 1992, NAIMA members’ facilities have diverted more than 103.5 billion pounds of recycled materials from the waste stream. Now imagine the dual benefit as that tremendous amount of discarded material is melted down and spun into fiberglass that will further improve the environment by reducing energy demands and carbon/greenhouse gas emissions while economically insulating the buildings and equipment we use every day!

Return on Investment

The cost of energy is a big concern for building owners, but what about cost to the environment? The energy consumption used in making and distributing fiberglass gives excellent returns. Another study reported by NAIMA states that “a typical pound of fiberglass and rock and slag wool insulation saves twelve times as much energy in its first year in place as the energy used to produce it.” And that is just the impact regarding the carbon footprint. Imagine what you save in energy bills over the life of the building!

Fiberglass Improvements

The manufacturers of fiberglass are committed to the future and to investing in finding better ways and greener products. Here are a few of the improvements by manufacturers that we now enjoy in our use of fiberglass insulation. 

•  Engineering improvements, such as the elimination of formaldehyde from its products; 
•  Refining fiberglass to make it less “itchy” and easier to handle;
•  Testing and improving the consistency of R-values and performance in limited cavity spacings;
•  Increasing the amount of recycled glass used in its creation;
•  Eliminating waste by reengineering manufacturing processes to incorporate fiberglass production scrap back into the primary production process, or to reprocess it into other products; and
•  Using compressed packaging to cut energy requirements for transportation by allowing more insulation to be shipped in each truck.

Now and into the future, we will need to economize on our use and consumption of natural resources and energy. Fiberglass is a tried-and-true performer to preserve both.

This article was written by a task force from the National Insulation Association’s (NIA’s) Metal Building Laminator Committee. The member companies that make up this committee are: 
•  Bay Insulation Systems, Inc. (www.bayinsulation.com)
•  DAW Construction Group, LLC (www.dawcg.com)
•  The E.J. Davis Company (www.ejdavis.com)
•  International Insulation Products, LLC (www.iiproducts.com)
•  L&L Insulations (www.llinsulation.com)
•  Silvercote, A Service Partners Company (www.silvercote.com)
•  Therm-All, Inc. (www.therm-all.com)

You can learn more about metal building insulation at www.insulatemetalbuildings.org. Read the newly revised NIA Certified Faced Insulation® Standard (Version 404.2–2024) at www.insulation.org/mblstandard. To learn more about NIA’s Metal Building Laminator Committee, or to join, email membership@insulation.org. For questions or comments about any of the articles, please email publications@insulation.org.

About The National Insulation Association

NIA is a not-for-profit trade association representing both the merit (open shop) and union contractors, distributors, laminators, fabricators, and manufacturers that provide thermal insulation, insulation accessories, and components to the commercial, mechanical, and industrial markets throughout the U.S. Since 1953, the northern Virginia–based association has been the voice of the insulation industry and is dedicated to keeping the commercial and industrial insulation industry up to date on the latest industry trends and technologies. For more information, visit www.insulation.org.