FOAMGLAS® Pilot solution for a 100% Circular Roof

Cellular glass insulation manufacturer FOAMGLAS®, part of the Fortune 500® company Owens Corning, has developed a new, glue-free way of installing FOAMGLAS® T3+ roof insulation that makes the insulation 100% reusable.

In the new solution, FOAMGLAS® T3+ insulation is laid loose on a vapor barrier and is then coated with a non-flammable coating. The innovation is part of the sustainable Circular Office project ‘t Centrum in Belgium, owned by Kamp C, Provincial Center for Sustainable Building & Living.

The aim of the ‘t Centrum building is to be circular, so that each element can easily be dismantled and reused. FOAMGLAS® was asked to participate in the project and develop a solution for the Circular Roof due to the excellent combination of characteristics of its products: they are fire safe, watertight, dimensionally stable and have high compressive strength.

Most importantly, FOAMGLAS® cellular glass fully retains its compressive strength and other properties over time and can therefore be reused. In the EPD*, the declared reference service life of FOAMGLAS® insulation is 100 years.

“We are continuously joining forces with customers and partners to develop and test new sustainable products and solutions. Kamp C is a visionary frontrunner, so this was an interesting challenge and opportunity for us to develop a circular solution,” say Sales Leader Frank Vanhove and Project Development Manager Sven Van Caimere from FOAMGLAS® Benelux.

Concrete step towards circular economy

The glue-free installation of the roof terrace insulation was done early this fall and it is the perfect opportunity to test and see the solution in action. The goal is to launch the new solution in the near future.

“We strive for circular economy and aim for zero waste leaving our plants by 2030. Already approximately 60% of the raw material used to produce FOAMGLAS® insulation comes from recycled materials. This innovation is a concrete step towards our goal of reducing our footprint and combating climate change,” says Beatrice Hallén, Sustainability Leader for Owens Corning Insulation Europe. 

*EPD-PCE-20200300-IBB1-EN, published by IBU