Sustainability & Circularity
Discover how Recticel Insulation drives sustainability and circularity through eco-conscious materials, innovative production, and smart insulation solutions for a resource-efficient future
Pioneering Circular Innovation with Recticel Insulation
At Recticel Insulation, sustainability isn’t an afterthought, it is at the heart of everything we do. Our commitment to circularity goes beyond simply cutting waste; it is about reimagining the full journey of our products, from the sourcing of raw materials to the end of their life cycle.
Our Circular Approach
- Eco-Conscious Materials
We make sustainability tangible by prioritising environmentally friendly materials, whether recycled or naturally derived. Take our Eurothane Silver Impact thermal insulation board for flat roofs, for example it already contains 25% biocircular content.
- Smart Design & Efficient Production
Our manufacturing processes are crafted to minimise waste and energy use. Our goal is to run energy-neutral facilities while transforming any production leftovers into resources for other industries, closing the loop on waste.
- Innovating Through Partnerships
By teaming up with leading research institutions like KU Leuven and trusted raw material suppliers, we co-create sustainable and circular solutions. These collaborations help us push the boundaries of construction innovation.
- Excellence in Action
Circularity drives every operational decision we make. From adopting biobased components in our insulation boards to aligning with evolving building trends, we continuously aim to reduce our environmental footprint while maintaining top-tier quality.
Closing the Loop: Our New Recycled Polyol Plant
Recticel Insulation proudly announces the opening of its new industrial‑scale recycled polyol plant in Wevelgem (Belgium), a major milestone in the company’s long‑term sustainability strategy and a decisive step toward circularity in the insulation sector.
The new facility, developed as part of Recticel’s broader circularity ambition, enables the recycling of post‑industrial PIR (polyisocyanurate) production waste into high‑quality recycled polyol, a key raw material used to manufacture new PIR insulation boards.
At Recticel, achieving circular insulation means reducing reliance on fossil fuels and maximizing the value of materials at the end of their life cycle.
We’re tackling this challenge by partnering with sustainable suppliers throughout our upstream supply chain and exploring four innovative approaches ourselves:
1. Reuse – Designing insulation systems with eco-design principles that allow materials to be reused in new projects.
2. Pyrolysis – A recycling process that converts mixed plastic waste into naphtha, which can feed the production of MDI and polyol, the building blocks of our insulation. While effective, pyrolysis is energy-intensive, so it isn’t our primary route.
3. Biobased Raw Materials – Transitioning from fossil-based to bio-circular inputs, we are testing lignin oil as a replacement for traditional polyols, creating a renewable foundation for our products.
4. Chemolysis – A process that breaks PIR boards back into their original components. Less energy-intensive than pyrolysis, chemolysis can be repeated multiple times, paving the way for a true closed-loop system.
While incineration or one-time recycling methods offer temporary solutions, chemolysis represents the key to keeping insulation materials in continuous circulation—moving us closer to a fully circular construction industry.
By choosing Recticel Insulation, you are partnering with a company committed to delivering intelligent, sustainable insulation solutions. Our products are designed with circularity in mind, helping to minimize environmental impact while supporting the transition to a more resource-efficient and responsible built environment.
Recticel Group: Recognised for Leading Sustainability Performance
The Recticel Group continues to strengthen its position as a sustainability leader, earning two major recognitions for its environmental and ESG performance. In early 2026, the Group received an EcoVadis Silver Medal for the first time - a significant step up after four consecutive Bronze ratings. This places Recticel among the top 15% of companies assessed globally, reflecting strong progress across key areas including environment, labour and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement.
Shortly after, Recticel retained its place on CDP’s prestigious A List for Climate Change for the second year running — the highest rating CDP awards. Out of more than 22,000 companies disclosing climate data, only 877 achieved an A rating, underscoring the Group’s commitment to transparent reporting and long‑term climate action.
These achievements highlight the momentum behind Recticel’s sustainability strategy and reinforce the foundation that supports Gradient’s own efforts in circularity, responsible sourcing, and innovation.
Recticel Group included in Financial Times list of European Climate Leaders
Recticel Group has been included in the Financial Times list of European Climate Leaders for the first time and ranks 89th out of 600 European companies recognized for their progress in reducing the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions.
In the Construction and Building Materials segment, the Recticel Group ranks 10th out of the 48 represented companies. This strong performance underscores the Group's commitment to future-oriented insulation and its ongoing efforts for a more energy-efficient and lower-carbon construction sector.
Stefaan Debusschere, CEO of Recticel Group, stated:
“Being recognized for the first time as one of the European Climate Leaders by the Financial Times is a significant milestone. This recognition reflects the collective commitment and ongoing efforts of our teams to achieve sustainable growth on a large scale and to accelerate the transition to more energy-efficient and circular building solutions.”
Innovating for a Circular Future at Recticel
Recticel continually seeks ways to reduce the environmental impact of its panels by rethinking their composition and taking cues from nature. One notable example is our multilayer cladding made from PEFC-certified wood fibers. This certification ensures sustainable forest management and full traceability, making Recticel the first PIR/PUR manufacturer authorized to use the PEFC label on multilayer solutions - cementing sustainability at the core of our panel cladding.
We’ve also introduced the redesigned IP PIR panel, a PIR solution without aluminium facing. This innovation cuts the carbon footprint of the coating by up to 40%, reduces corrosion risk, and still delivers excellent thermal performance and airtightness.
Towards Circular, Fundamentally Sustainable Insulation
The abbreviation EPD stands for Environmental Product Declaration. EPD is a document in which you can find information about the environmental impact of a building material. Manufacturers of building materials can draw up such a declaration voluntarily. A third, independent party checks the correctness of the declaration. That way, you can be sure that the info is correct and true.
Sustainability & circularity
Are Recticel Insulation's products environmentally friendly?
Our boards are an extremely efficient form of insulation and over the life of a building will save far more energy in their use than required in their production, resulting in significant reductions in energy consumption and cost, as well as reduced CO2 emissions.
What is circularity in construction?
Circularity in construction means keeping materials and products in use for as long as possible while reducing waste and the consumption of virgin resources.
For insulation, this can involve designing products and systems with durability, resource efficiency, recycling, recovery and end-of-life solutions in mind.
Recticel is working to support a more circular insulation industry by exploring ways to recover and reuse materials from insulation products.
What is Next Life Polyol?
Next Life Polyol is an initiative focused on recovering valuable polyol raw materials from polyurethane waste and returning them to the production cycle.
By recovering material that would otherwise potentially become waste, technologies such as this can help reduce reliance on virgin raw materials and support a more circular approach to polyurethane insulation.
What is Recticel doing to improve insulation circularity?
Recticel is working to improve the circularity of insulation by looking at ways to reduce waste, recover valuable materials and return materials to the production cycle.
This includes initiatives focused on recovering materials from insulation waste and exploring technologies that can help move the insulation industry towards more circular material flows.
What is the circular economy?
The circular economy is an approach that aims to reduce waste and keep products and materials in use for as long as possible.
In construction, this can involve designing buildings and products with durability, resource efficiency, reuse, recovery and recycling in mind.
For insulation, circularity can include finding ways to recover materials from manufacturing waste and insulation products at the end of their service life.
Recticel Insulation proudly announces the opening of its new industrial‑scale recycled polyol plant in Wevelgem (Belgium), a major milestone in the company’s long‑term sustainability strategy and a decisive step toward circularity in the insulation sector.
Energy efficiency
How does insulation contribute to energy efficiency
Insulation reduces the transfer of heat through a building's walls, roofs and floors. This can help buildings retain heat during colder periods and limit heat gains during warmer periods.
High-performance insulation can therefore help reduce the energy required to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures over the lifetime of a building.
What is a U-value?
A U-value measures how easily heat passes through a building element, such as a wall, roof or floor. It is expressed in watts per square metre Kelvin (W/m²K).
The lower the U-value, the better the thermal performance of the building element, as less heat is transferred through it.
Why is U-value important?
U-values are important because they help assess the thermal performance of a building's fabric.
A lower U-value means less heat is transferred through the building element, which can contribute to improved energy efficiency and help projects meet their thermal performance requirements.
