Technical

Environmental Performance

The need for more sustainable approaches to the construction and use of buildings is now almost universally recognised. Isonat has been developed to enable home owners and specifiers to meet exceptionally high performance and environmental standards

Welsh hemp crop during harvest
Welsh hemp crop during harvest
RAW MATERIALS
Isonat is made from hemp and recylced cotton. All the hemp is grown on UK farms without the use of herbicides and pesticides. The fibre is extracted in an entirely mechanical, chemical free and waste free process. The woody by-product form the hemp plant is used as a high quality horse bedding.
The recycled cotton fibres come from a waste stream from the cotton processing indusry. We use cotton fibres that would otherwise go to landfill.
To meet UK fire performance standards we treat the fibre with a low level of a harmless phosphate based fire retardant.
The natural fibres are bound together using a polyester binder, which also helps with the maintenance of loft. This binder is harmless, but it is synthetic. We are currently involved in a research project which we hope will lead to the use of a completely natural bio-derived alternative.

CARBON BALANCE
An independent study shows how Isonat can help to reduce carbon emissions. The study uses Life Cycle Analysis techniques to show how the carbon locked-up in natural materials such as Isonat offsets the carbon required for production. The report also indicates how future development of Isonat will make the product better than carbon neutral. To view the full report Click here

DISPOSAL
When used appropriately, Isonat can be expected to last for the life of the building. At the end of the its useful life, Isonat can be simply disposed of by composting or incineration.

We are committed to the green building agenda and we believe that the use of biorenewable products such as Isonat can deliver substantial environmental benefits. If you would like to discuss the environmental performance of Isonat or other wider issues relating to the sustainability agenda we would very much like to hear from you