Natural and lower impact insulation materials

You can buy energy-saving thermal insulation and sound-reducing noise insulation made of natural substances, including recycled materials. Some artificial insulation materials have lower environmental impact than in the past when they were made with gases that damage the ozone layer — but they still take more energy to manufacture than natural insulation.

Insulation made of natural substances such as:

• wood fibre
• cellulose fibre including recycled newspaper
• coconut fibre
• recycled cotton and denim
• flax, hemp or cork
• sheep’s wool.

Artificial insulation with relatively low environmental impact includes:

• low-density mineral wool
• polyurethane
• expanded polystyrene (EPS).

Fitting sheep’s wool insulation.

For some other types of insulation you may need to wear protective clothing and a barrier cream — follow the manufacturer’s health and safety guidelines.