The way we construct new buildings has evolved significantly over time. Many look back nostalgically at the Victorian era as the golden age of construction and engineering and, while they may have a point about the skill and scale involved, those draughty buildings are costly to heat and all the wasted energy from single glazed windows and uninsulated walls and roofs means unnecessary carbon emissions.

Modern materials and construction methods have led to more energy efficient buildings, supported by Part L building regulations and greater compliance requirements. But we are still a long way from doing everything we can to make our built environment as energy efficient and environmentally responsible as it can be.

A circular approach to sustainability
As a building envelope specialist with a commitment to sustainability, Soprema UK is at the forefront of innovation in environmentally responsible building products. Developing building materials that are made from sustainable materials, use less energy to produce, deliver tangible environmental performance during their extended service life and are recyclable when that service life comes to an end. This circular approach to sustainability means that it is possible to specify building envelope solutions with improved eco credentials at every stage of their lifecycle, reducing the environmental impact of the specification and the building, thereby addressing both the causes and the effects of climate change.

One example of this is woodfibre insulation, such as Soprema’s Pavatex range, which is manufactured using timber from renewable forests and includes specialist products for both external and internal wall insulation, along with systems for use in roof build-ups. Woodfibre insulation not only addresses the climate crisis by providing effective thermal performance and using natural, renewable materials, but also helps to tackle carbon emissions by providing carbon lock-up – sequestering approximately one ton of CO2 per 1m3 of wood.

Soprema is embedding a circular approach to sustainability in innovative product development across a range of insulation materials. For example, Pavatextil P is a thermo-acoustic flexible board insulation made from recycled denim, which is suitable for use in lofts and stud walls. Not only does it provide a sustainable, high performance construction material, but it also addresses the issue of clothing waste.

Meanwhile, Soprema’s C2C Certified SOPRA XPS extruded insulation is made from recycled polystyrene, using extruded and expanded polystyrene materials from food packaging, protective materials and containers. It is manufactured using climate-friendly CO2 energy to create a construction material that is 100% recyclable and has a 60-year lifespan. As part of Soprema’s commitment to considering environmental impact throughout a products lifecycle, the production process has been designed to enable 90 of waste to be recovered and fed back into XPS manufacturing.

Combining building fabric and renewables
Using renewable or recycled materials in the roof and wall build-up of a property is a substantial factor in delivering a more sustainable built environment. It is an achievable goal for the residential property sector, which accounts for 20% of the UK’s carbon emissions. However, it is not just important to consider how to reduce energy consumption and waste, but also to focus on bringing cleaner, sustainable energy to all homes.

To learn more about the sustainable solutions on offer from Soprema, visit their website or contact them today on 0330 058 0668 or email: techsupport@soprema.co.uk