Definition. The environmental cost of insulation varies widely. In the study, cellulose has the lowest Environmental Cost Indicator at €0.41/m², followed by LDPE foil (€0.51), glass wool (€0.84) and flax board (€0.92). At the other end are PS beads (€17.83) and perlite (€22.97) with by far the highest cost. A lower ECI means lower environmental impact.
Material choice therefore drives a large difference in impact per square metre. New Economy’s circular insulation study for Amsterdam reports this.
- Which insulation has the lowest environmental cost? Cellulose to perlite