Knauf Insulation has become the first manufacturer in Europe to achieve a DECLARE ‘Red List Free’ label for rock mineral wool products.

The manufacturer’s unfaced rock mineral wool range, made with ECOSE® Technology, has received the label. This follows ‘Red List Free’ accreditation for its entire glass mineral wool range in 2021.

The DECLARE label allows architects and specifiers to see what is in a product to help them make informed choices. It includes a ‘nutrition-style’ list of ingredients, and whether it contains chemicals featured on the DECLARE ‘Red List’ – substances designated as harmful to health and the environment, such as added formaldehyde. It also includes information about where a product comes from.

“We know that the industry is increasingly asking the right questions about the environmental impact of construction products,” explained Luke Davies, Product Manager – Rock Mineral Wool at Knauf Insulation. “These DECLARE labels provide transparency and clear information so that those using or selling our products have a clear understanding of the ingredients that constitute them.”

“They complement the comprehensive Environmental Product Declarations we already publish for each of our product ranges,” he added.

The use of ‘Red List Free’ products is already a key factor in achieving credits in Green Building Rating Systems such as LEED and the Well Building Standard. This means the DECLARE label can be used by architects, housebuilders and installers to support their own sustainability and health and safety credentials.

To achieve the DECLARE label for its unfaced rock mineral wool range, Knauf Insulation has disclosed the composition of the products, which mainly consists of volcanic rock, typically basalt and dolomite, with around 35% recycled content (recycled material mostly from the steel industry along with customer production waste).

A key factor in it achieving DECLARE ‘Red List Free’ status is ECOSE® Technology, the company’s unique bio-based binder, which contains no added formaldehyde or phenol – substances which feature on the ‘Red List’. ECOSE® Technology is made from natural raw materials that are rapidly renewable, and is 70% less energy-intensive to manufacture than traditional binder. Products made with ECOSE® Technology generate low levels of dust and VOCs, and have been awarded the Eurofins Gold Certificate for Indoor Air Comfort.  

The following products have been certified DECLARE ‘Red List Free’:

• Rocksilk® Acoustic Floor Slab
• Rocksilk® Acoustic Floor Slab Plus
• Rocksilk® Building Slabs (excluding any with additional facings)
• Rocksilk® Flexible Slab
• Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab
• Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab 455

Knauf Insulation also received a DECLARE ‘Red List Approved’ accreditation for its Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab with Black Glass Veil.

DECLARE aims to provide transparency around sustainability and health & safety. Compliance is clearly stated at the bottom of the label and products certified by DECLARE are listed on a free database which can be accessed at declare.living-future.org

For further information on DECLARE certification, visit: www.knaufinsulation.co.uk/declare