Recycling vs. Landfilling

Glass mineral wool (GMW) is an insulation hero: durable, efficient, and sustainable. It can last for more than 50 years in a building, reducing energy use and cutting CO₂ emissions throughout its lifetime. But when demolition or renovation day comes, too much of this valuable material is still sent to landfill. That’s not only a waste of resources, it’s a choice with serious environmental, economic, and social costs.

Resulation was founded to change that equation. By recycling mineral wool instead of burying it, we turn waste into a resource and keep the loop closed. Here’s why recycling wins every time.

1. Environmental impact: saving land and nature

Landfills aren’t bottomless pits. Every ton of glass wool dumped takes up scarce landfill space. Recycling, on the other hand, prevents waste mountains and preserves valuable land. According to the European Environment Agency, construction and demolition waste already makes up one third of all waste in the EU (EEA, 2020). Mineral wool shouldn’t add to that pile when it can be fully recycled.

2. Climate advantage: cutting carbon emissions

Producing insulation from virgin raw materials requires melting sand, soda, and limestone at extremely high temperatures. That’s energy-intensive and carbon-heavy. Recycling avoids part of this process. Recycled cullets can cut CO₂ emissions in glass wool production by up to 20%. In other words: the more we recycle, the lower the footprint of every roll of insulation that leaves the factory.

3. Economic value: from cost to resource

For companies, landfilling mineral wool is pure cost: transport, landfill fees, and future levies that are likely to rise as legislation tightens. Recycling flips the script. Mineral wool waste becomes a raw material, reducing dependence on virgin resources and strengthening Europe’s circular economy. That’s not just sustainable, it’s smart business.

4. Circular construction: raising the bar

Recycled content is increasingly key in sustainable building certifications like LEED and BREEAM. By choosing insulation made with recycled mineral wool, construction firms can boost their green credentials and respond to growing client demand for circular solutions. More and more, the sector recognizes recycling as a part of efficient building.

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Turning choice into action

Recycling glass mineral wool is more than a theory. It requires infrastructure, partners, and commitment. That’s where Resulation steps in. By creating a dedicated recycling stream, we make it possible for construction and demolition waste to skip the landfill and re-enter the value chain.

Instead of being treated as waste, mineral wool becomes a high-quality raw material again.

“Every ton we recycle is one fewer ton lost to landfill. It’s a small shift with a huge impact for the industry, the climate, and future generations.”

Thomas Baguette, Business Developer at Resulation

A world where nothing goes to waste

Landfilling belongs to the past. Recycling is the future. With every ton of glass mineral wool we retrieve, Resulation shows that circular construction isn’t just possible, it’s happening. One ton at a time, we are building a world where nothing goes to waste.

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