SupaSoft Recycled Plastic bottle Insulation –
Adding to the warm atmosphere at Appleby Hub
Since 2015 Appleby Hub, located in the former Methodist chapel on Chapel Street, Appleby, Cumbria has been providing a community café serving homemade artisan wholefoods, a second-hand book shop, together with a great variety of community groups and classes all with a focus on creativity and well-being. With the onset of Covid_19 and the Hub unable to operate as a café and meeting place, a food and craft delivery service ‘Hub on Wheels’ was devised. Whilst working with The Fellside Flower Company to deliver bunches of flowers as they go around the area, the hub also supply their range of artisan breads and cakes to other businesses in the town, helping to keep the wheels of Appleby turning and a venture which Manager Sarah Jones is hoping will continue once the lockdown ceases.
It was earlier in the year, before Covid_19, that The Hub received the Green small business certification of which they are very proud. The certification process together with a site visit from the GSB team brought to attention the lack of effective insulation in the Hub loft area. Looking for local suppliers, Sarah contacted Eden Renewable Innovations Ltd, based in Dacre. ERI is the brainchild of owner Christine Armstrong and best known locally for their Thermafleece range of sheep’s wool insulation however Eri also manufacture an insulation made from recycled plastic bottles; SupaSoft Insulation. A safe to handle, safe to install, none itch insulation which Christine felt would fit in perfectly with the Hub’s Green Business credentials.
A total of 72 packs of SupaSoft, the equivalent of 57600 waste plastic bottles not going to landfill) were delivered at the beginning of June and have now been installed by local firm Nathan Richardson Joinery, turning the loft into a SupaSoft Winter wonderland,
‘I’m so grateful to Eden Renewables.’ says Sarah, ‘Just like everybody we’ve had a difficult financial start to the year and being toasty warm and saving on heating bills this winter will be greatly appreciated. SupaSoft is a lovely product too, so much kinder than the old-fashioned fibre glass insulation and very in keeping with our environmental values.’
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Innovative Dragons Den Series Launched by the ASBP
The Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP), in collaboration with the ASBP Plastics in Construction Group, has launched an exciting new innovation pitch series.
Aimed at innovators, start-ups and manufacturers launching new product ranges, the purpose of the ‘Dragons’ Den’ style event programme is to identify innovative alternatives to conventional plastic building materials and packaging. The products can be at any stage of the innovation cycle from early development to market ready.
There are a number of events in the series, each with a focus on different product types:
- Insulation – Thursday 18th June, 14:00-15:30
- Single use plastics and packaging – Thursday 17th September, 11:00-12:30
- Building services – Thursday 15th October, 11:00-12:30
- Flooring, finishes & paints – Thursday 19th November, 11:00-12:30
- Building elements (Walls, doors, windows, roofs) – 17th December, 11:00-12:30
Each event will feature 3 guest ‘Dragons’ as judges, who will share their expertise with the audience. They will have relevant expertise from across the sustainable development, investment and green building sectors.
The first of the Dragon’s Den Pitch events takes place on Thursday 18th June, 14:00-15:30 and is focussed on innovative insulation materials.
Invited Dragons are:
Dr John Williams: Senior Partner at Sinvestec LLC and has over 25 years’ experience in strategic technical roles in polymers and biotech in both global multi-nationals and small and medium-sized enterprises.
Jamie Page: Chief Executive at The Cancer Prevention and Education Society. Jamie will share his research on the significant health risks associated with fire retardants.
Mark Lynn: Managing Director at Eden Renewable Innovations Ltd has over 18 years’ experience in the fields of natural insulation and timber preservation. He is passionate about making the best use of local resources, minimising waste and ensuring that sustainability, performance and quality go hand in hand.
All events in the series will be streamed live online as a webinar (Zoom) and will also be recorded for on-demand viewing. All events are free to attend. To register and for more information, please visit https://asbp.org.uk/upcomingevents.
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Read the latest Newsletter from Thermafleece
The latest newsletter from Thermafleece is available to download here So if you want to know more about insulation that is healthy for you, your home and the planet; how to insulate the underside of a suspended floor or how to turn your garden shed into a shoffice; to download the new set of application notes for walls, cold roofs, warm roofs and floors or for your chance to receive a thermafleece tea towel why not take a look?
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Still time to get ‘Early Bird’ discount tickets for Healthy Buildings Conference
There is still time to get your ‘Early Bird’ tickets for the ASBP Healthy Buildings Conference and Expo, sponsored by Velux, is to be held at Amnesty International UK’s Human Rights Action Centre in London on Thursday 27th Feb.
The ASBP are offering a 20% discount on tickets ordered up and until the 31st Jan 2019 for your chance to hear inspirational speakers discussing the radical, energy and resource efficient approaches that are required to address the climate crisis and deliver healthy, net zero buildings with better indoor environments.
Chair of the Event is Thermafleece MD and Vice Chair of the ASBP, Mark Lynn and Keynote speakers are award-winning social entrepreneur and author Sam Conniff Allende and Mary Creagh, Chair of the Environmental Audit Select Committee
Find out more on the ASBP website at https://asbp.org.uk/healthybuildings2020
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Winter newsletter from Thermafleece now available.
To find out what has been happening in Cumbria over the past couple of months, marvel at the Thermafleece wool hats created by a local knit and knitter group, read frequently asked questions, find out how to get tickets for the ASBP Healthy Buildings Conference and Expo on the 27th Feb or download a brochure – the winter newsletter from Thermafleece is available here.
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ASBP Awards – Shortlist announced.
The six project shortlist for the ASBP Awards 2020, were announced on the 26th November. The awards, now in their 2nd year recognise construction projects which exemplify excellence in sustainability through their products, design and delivery.
The submissions were judged by the ASBP’s experienced board members and assessed against the ASBP’s “Six Pillars of Sustainable Construction”: Health and well-being, resource efficiency, whole-life carbon, ethics and transparency, technical performance and social value.
Congratulations to those involved with the following projects:
- Chester Long Court – Exeter City Council
- Geanaisean – MAKAR
- Green Tiles – Colin Rice Architect
- Larch Corner – LEAP
- Putney Lower Common Cemetery Chapel – Roger Mears Architects
- Squash – URBED
Further information about the awards and the six pillars of sustainable construction are available on the ASBP website at https://asbp.org.uk/asbp-awards
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Free tickets to HB&R Bath and Southwest with Thermafleece
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Well’s Shepherd Huts – Supporting the Sheep
Wells Shepherd Huts the Shepherd’s Hut manufacturing company located in the beautiful countryside within the Ribble Valley pride themselves on their use of traditional craftsmanship in the manufacture and refurbishment of bespoke handcrafted Shepherd’s Huts.
Co-owner and founder Ian Wells has been interested in joinery since he was five years old. From leaving school Ian worked for local joinery companies over a number of years, gaining skills and experience across all areas of joinery, but in 2007 he decided to break away and started to forge his own company.
Wells Shepherd Huts has grown from a simple idea that the Victorian shepherd’s huts on cast iron wheels that farmers used when tending to their flocks of sheep, could be transformed into these beautiful contemporary and fully insulated structures that we produce today.
“Our ethos, at Wells Shepherd Hut’s, is to use as much as possible sustainable, renewable and locally sourced materials in the manufacture of our hut’s. We would not want to use anything else other than Thermafleece sheep wool insulation. Thermafleece have been fantastic in providing us, here at Wells shepherd huts, with a complete range of information and choice to suit our hut builds. Their products are reasonably priced and are of a very high-quality. The benefits of using Thermafleece sheep wool product far out way any man-made products both thermally and acoustically.
We feel it is very fitting to give something back to the Shepherd’s huts by using the sheep wool insulation, not only as the wool is from a sustainable source and to give it a value once again, but because the iconic shepherd’s huts once allowed the farmers to support the sheep.” – Joanne Wells
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ASBP Healthy Buildings Conference & Expo 2020
The ASBP Healthy Buildings Conference and Expo returns for 2020, taking place on Thursday 27th February at Amnesty International UK’s Human Rights Action Centre in London.
Find out more on the ASBP website https://asbp.org.uk/healthybuildings2020
Read the September Newsletter from Thermafleece
Would you like free tickets to the Home Building and Renovating Show at the Bath & West Showground, Somerset on the 16 – 17 November or do you want to know more about the fascinating wool scouring process at Thomas Chadwick and Sons in Yorkshire? Download a Thermafleece brochure; read up on Airtightness, Vapour Control and Breathability; find out how to enter your building in the ASBP 2020 Awards or read Mark Lynn’s thoughts on Carbon Offsetting – the latest newsletter from thermafleece is now available to download here.
The ASBP Awards 2020
The exciting awards programme, organised by the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products and sponsored by thermafleece, Steico, Cleveland Steel and Tubes and UK Hempcrete are open to construction projects from across the UK built environment sector that were completed and handed over by July 2019 and recognise projects that exemplify excellence in sustainability through their products, design and delivery.
New for 2019/20 – Separate categories for ‘new-build’ and ‘retrofit’ projects.
The Versatility of Wool
This Summer, The Campaign for Wool will create a Wool Beach Lodge on Porthtowan Beach in Cornwall from 4th – 13th July. The interactive pop up will be home to an exciting programme of events and activities showcasing the versatility of wool during the British transeasonal climate. The Lodge will highlight the latest developments from leading brand partners in the worlds of interiors, sport performance and casual fashion, highlighting wool’s role in the next generation of renewable fibre products.
Visitors and holidaymakers will be able to sit and enjoy the lodge or take part in a range of summer beach activities including surfing, yoga, wool workshops and beach movie screenings all hosted by Campaign for Wool supporters, as well as an exclusive hike with author and survival expert, John Hudson. Additional activities including beach litter clearing will also feature on the programme highlighting the eco-friendly nature of wool, which biodegrades in the land and ocean to reduce waste and help the planet.
Plastics in Construction
Mark Lynn & Katherine Adams (ASBP)
STBA/SPAB conference – London 11th June
ASBP Mission: To accelerate the transformation to a healthy, low carbon built environment by championing the use of demonstrably sustainable building products.’ With this in mind Mark Lynn Vice Chair of the ASBP and Managing Director of Eden Renewable Innovations Ltd together with ASBP Technical and research Associate Katherine Adams addressed the STBA/SPAB conference on the thorny subject of Plastics in Construction, held in London on the 11th June.
Thermafleece wins Build Magazine 2019 Award
Grand Designs: The Street. UK’s first U-Build house uses thermafleece
Episode 3 of Grand Designs: The Street airs on the Thursday 25th April and follows Chris and Roxie, one of the youngest couples out of the 10 families who are building their own bespoke homes on a single street.
Using ‘U Build’ the revolutionary new self-build system created by pioneering London based architect’s Studio Bark, Chris and Roxie take control of the whole build process: designing, creating and adapting their own spaces with the help of a team of young architectural students willing to exchange their free labour in return for experience.
Insulation Master Class
If you are attending the Home Building and Renovating show at the NEC on the 28th to 31st March and interested in wool and the benefits it offers to the home environment then head down to the MasterClass Theatre on Sunday 31st March for 11am. Mark Lynn, MD of Eden Renewable Innovations Ltd and Vice Chair of the ASBP will be speaking on the benefits and costs of using wool as insulation in the home.
Thermafleece stars in Coronation Street factory collapse
Producers used thermafleece CosyWool Slab as the insulation of choice in the recent factory roof collapse stunt of Coronation Street. The episode which has left the residents reeling and claimed the life of character Rana Habeeb featured CosyWool throughout the episode. 4 packs were sent out to the Coronation Street Design Department in readiness for the stunt which was aired on the 20th March.
See the aftermath of the collapse at https://www.itv.com/coronationstreet.
Thermafleece – Made in Yorkshire using British Wool
Thermafleece, proud of their British farming heritage and the only sheep’s wool insulation company with products made in the UK exclusively using the coarse coloured wool from British Hill sheep which would otherwise go to waste.
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SupaSoft, proud to have played a part in Bowman’s Lea – winner of the ASBP Awards 2019
The winners of the inaugural ASBP Awards were announced at the ASBP’s Healthy Buildings Conference and Expo which took place on 28th February
OVERALL WINNER AND THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Bowman’s Lea Harry Paticas, Arboreal Architecture
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Insulation – An intergral part of the building fabric
The Campaign for Wool recently visited Eden Renewable Innovations base in the Lake District to see just how thermafleece sheep’s wool insulation is made from start to finish. See why sheep’s wool insulation is the perfect choice for your home. Watch the video at byff.ly/2L3wsUa
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Opting for wool has a positive impact on the planet
To support their Patron, HRH The Prince of Wales, lifelong concerns of the dangers of plastic on the countryside and marine environments Campaign for Wool have created this animation to share the positive benefits of wool. Available to view on YouTube at youtu.be/y6JIlqHGbQ0
Innovating with low impact materials
Our own MD and Vice Chair of the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP) Mark Lynn will be speaking at The London Build Sustainability Summit, part of the London Build Expo being held at Olympia on the 23rd and 24th October.
Added 21st October 2018
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Insulation – consider your options
The right insulation for an old building has been much debated over the years. Most period homes were built in the days before cavity walls and modern insulating materials and adding an extra layer can be a delicate balancing act – get it right, and you will be warm and comfortable, but get it wrong and your home could be damp from condensation, and you could even damage the building fabric.
By Melanie Griffiths – Period Living June 2018 – The right way to insulate an old building
Added July 30 2018
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ASBP Awards 2018 now open
The ASBP Awards 2018 are now open – The awards, which recognise construction projects exemplifying excellence in sustainability through their products, design and delivery opened for entries on the 1st July and remain open until the 14th September with shortlisting taking place in the autumn.
Added 1st July 2018
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The concept of breathability in buildings
By Mark Lynn, ASBP Director & MD of Eden Renewable Innovations Ltd
and Gary Newman, Executive Chair of the ASBP.
The first in a planned series of ASBP industry briefing papers on the topic of breathability in buildings. Our aim is to explain breathability in a language that can be understood by building practitioners and provide guidance on how to design for breathability. In doing this, we hope to enable industry to deliver better buildings designed to take advantage of the significant building performance benefits of breathability.
Added March 2018
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Think natural insulations is more expensive? – think again
Interested in using natural insulation but worried about the cost?
Like most people, we’ve become very familiar with the “ethical premium”: if you want the healthier, greener option – you usually have to shell out more. So we were happily surprised when we found out how competitive natural insulation actually is.
Added April 2016
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12 ways to save energy in a period home
Period homes have a reputation of being draughty and expensive to run, but it doesn’t always have to be that way. Old, uninsulated solid-wall homes do lose more heat than newly built houses, and outdated, inefficient appliances and fittings use more energy than necessary. However, it is possible to carry out some simple improvements to make your home warmer and reduce bills.
Real Homes – Melanie Griffiths
Added October 2017
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UK must insulate 25 million homes by 2050
Authors of a report to Parliament say that in order to meet the insulation standards required by 2050, more than one home every minute will need to be refurbished in the UK if we are to meet our carbon emission targets.
With the UK needing to cut carbon emissions by 80%, the targeting of inefficiently heated, draughty and poorly insulated buildings will be high on the government’s agenda – given refurbishment of properties of this kind will be expected to deliver over a third of the overall reduction.
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The real lady in the van
SupaSoft insulation helping to keep an eco-friendly mobile home warm and cosy.
Louise Watts wanted her unique mobile home to be as environmentally friendly as possible. However, with limited space, weight restrictions and a roller shutter at the back making it difficult for the van to conserve heat. The insulation not only had to be eco friendly and able to help keep the van warm, but also be lightweight and non bulky.
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