Circular economy

We're committed to supporting the transition towards a circular economy. Afterall, ROCKWOOL products are circular by nature, so they perfectly complement an economy where products are made from natural and abundant materials, designed for better and more durable use and can infinitely recycled.

Following nature’s lead

In nature, circularity is the norm. All living things exist, die and return to life – sometimes in a new form – in a never-ending circle. Our products are made from natural stone, making it possible to fully recycle used stone wool into new stone wool – over and over again and without any loss of performance.

Recycle, sustainability, energy efficiency, recycling, circularity

ROCKWOOL on circularity

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Rockcycle®

Rockcycle® is ROCKWOOL’s pioneering recycling program. It’s now available in 19 countries with an aim to reach 30 by 2030.

We take back stone wool material from construction, renovation and demolition sites and recycle it in our production process to make new stone wool products. Rockcycle® facilitates a truly circular and closed loop recycling system. It also caters to the increased demand by key stakeholders for sustainable ways to reduce construction and demolition waste.

By taking a circular approach – where waste is designed out and resources are used efficiently – we can create an economy that is both sustainable and profitable.

In 2022, we collected and recycled

of stone wool through our recycling services

We offer recycling services in

different countries

Circular urban regeneration

As the world’s population continues to grow rapidly, pressure on natural resources will only increase. This brings the need for a circular economy into sharp focus – a system where there is no waste, just valuable resources. It highlights just how important it is for us to put circularity into practice throughout our business.

Zero waste to landfill

In three-quarters of our manufacturing facilities, we have eliminated all stone wool waste going to landfill. We have done this by re-directing the stone wool production waste back into our production in a closed-loop system.

Globally, we have committed to reducing production waste going to landfill by 85 percent by 2030. We have already reached a reduction of more than 50 percent compared to the 2015 baseline.

Our reduction goal requires us to continuously push the boundaries of what is possible in the transition to a waste-free society. One example is the conversion to electric melting at our factory in Moss, Norway, which has allowed us to significantly increase our recycling capacity.

Reducing and recycling plastic packaging

We use plastic packaging to compress, transport and protect our stone wool products before installation. We are committed to reducing our use of plastic packaging as much as possible, for example by constantly reducing its thickness. We are also committed to increasing the recycled content and recyclability of our packaging.

In 2022, we focused attention on minimising the use of ink on the packaging as a means to increasing its recyclability. We will continue work on increasing recycled content and optimising the recyclability of plastic packaging and streamlining effective solutions across all markets.

SR22 ES, sustainability report 2022 ES, informe de sostenibilidad 2022, circular por naturaleza, circularidad, circularity

Our advocacy within circularity

We are committed to a waste-free society based on circular economy principles. We are actively and consistently participating in the dialogue with policy makers and regulators to push for more ambitious circular economy targets within the construction sector. Some of our key advocacy points are:

A ban to landfill recyclable products and disincentives the use of non-recyclable products. If land fill prices are low, there is no business case to develop circular solutions
Increasing landfill costs to encourage deconstruction practices (over demolition ones)
Clear standardised definitions for key elements of circularity, such as durability, recyclability and recycled content

Water

At ROCKWOOL, we are working to reduce our water use intensity and aim to reach a 20 percent reduction in 2030 for our production facilities. The main focus of our water management strategy is to reduce freshwater use and ensure there is no discharge of wastewater into the environment. Therefore, we design our production processes for zero wastewater discharge to the environment. At most of our sites, we recycle production water in a closed-loop system, with much of the water evaporating as part of the process.

Cigacice, Poland

Over the years, we have made several improvements and investments in optimising the water usage across our factories. For example, at our factory in Cigacice, Poland, we invested in harvesting rainwater, which resulted in significantly reducing fresh water consumption.

factory in Cigacice, ROCKWOOL factory, helicopter view

Vamdrup, Denmark
Since 2000, the Danish factory in Vamdrup has collected rainwater in large basins with storage capacity of 2000 m3, supplying 40 percent of the factory’s production process water consumption.

Drone images of the factory in Vamdrup DK

Saint-Éloy-les-Mines, France
At our French factory in Saint-Éloy-les-Mines, we implemented a system for closer control and quick reaction against water leakages, together with the installation of more water efficient equipment.

Biodiversity

Resource extraction and biodiversity loss are closely interlinked, which is why we at ROCKWOOL are exploring different avenues to best manage the Earth’s natural resources.

Our circular business model around recycling of used stone wool directly benefits the natural environment and biodiversity by reducing the need for virgin stone. We are also currently conducting a Biodiversity Net Gain project at one of our factories and performing a risk mitigation mapping of our own sites (initially in the EU, Norway, Switzerland and UK) looking at how and if biodiversity is covered in our permits. These two projects will identify next steps and recommendations on how to take best care of our surrounding flora and fauna.

We will develop a dedicated biodiversity strategy to foster transparency, challenges, opportunities and progress.

Learn more about ROCKWOOL's commitments

Energy Efficiency

Correct building design and installation of insulation is critical to ensure optimal energy efficiency while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Sustainability

Decarbonisation

At ROCKWOOL Group, we believe that by decarbonising our business and value chain, we can reinforce the fact that we’re a net carbon negative company. That’s why 2020 saw us join a group of pioneering companies committed to the SBTi.

Protecting climate and environment

Environment

Our commitment to sustainability includes advocating for energy efficiency, decarbonisation, building renovation, and a circular economy, all in the effort to protect the climate and the environment.