Vanessa Rae, Marketing Director of Knauf Insulation talks to Professional Builder about the latest changes to the company’s range of products.
What are the changes in a nutshell?
Essentially, we’ve made it easier for customers to choose, use, store, handle and transport our insulation. From clear product identification to colour-coded thermal conductivity groups, our packaging has been redesigned to give our customers all the information they need at a glance and ensure they use the right product for their application.
We’ve also upgraded our compression packaging technology – already the best in the industry – which means there’s even more product per pack or pallet. This, together with other sustainability improvements, is helping to make our insulation even greener.
How does the new packaging help builders?
Our packaging has been designed to make it easier for our customers to choose the right product for their application. Firstly, product names are bigger and clearer. We know that additional performance factors such as non-combustibility or acoustic performance are becoming more important, so we have made them more prominent on our packs.
This information, together with consistent colour-coding of the packaging into thermal conductivity groups across the range, means customers can identify the product they need immediately. We’ve also launched Rocksilk, a new brand with a fresh new look for our Rock Mineral Wool range and we’ve discontinued the Earthwool brand to simplify the brand structure.
Why have you made these changes?
Our customers told us efficiency is of the essence; in branch they need to be able to select the right product for the right application quickly. This means they want to be able to instantly assess product benefits such as thermal conductivity, non-combustibility, acoustic performance and whether it contains ECOSE Technology, our unique bio-based binder, which improves the installer’s experience and is better for the environment.
Similarly, on a busy site, they want to be able to grab the product they need and install it. They don’t want to have to read the small print to check they’ve picked up the right product. That’s why we’ve colour-coded the packaging and made the most important information highly visible, which means they use the right product for each application.
What is compression packaging and why is it important?
Unlike other insulants, such as rigid boards, Glass Mineral Wool is flexible. As well as helping builders achieve high-quality installation by adapting easily to the substrate and eliminating air gaps, this flexibility allows the Glass Mineral Wool to be compressed in the pack and on the pallet.
We have further improved what was already the most advanced packaging compression technology on the market, which means we can now compress our products down to just a tenth of their size. On average there is 15 per cent more insulation per pack for the rolls and 25 per cent more per pallet for the slabs. This makes our products even more efficient to store, handle and transport.
How do the changes make the products more sustainable?
As there is more insulation per pack or per pallet, we can fit more insulation per truck and customers can fit more into their vans. This means less handling overall, and fewer vehicles are on the roads, which reduces transport related carbon emissions. It also allows for more efficient storage on site.
Better compression also means less plastic packaging per m2 of our insulation which reduces the impact our products have on the environment too. We’re also introducing a new packaging film that contains a minimum of 30 per cent recycled plastic, and our new designs use less ink, so our packaging is even easier to recycle.
Why should your customers care?
The changes we have made reduce the carbon footprint of our products. They help fulfil the commitments we’ve made in our ‘For A Better World’ sustainability strategy and build on our long history of innovation. For example, more than ten years ago, we developed ECOSE Technology, our bio-based binder, that contains no formaldehyde or added phenol. It is made from natural raw materials that are rapidly renewable and is 70 per cent less energy-intensive to manufacture than traditional binders. In addition to its sustainability credentials, it has improved the installer experience with Mineral Wool – our products are soft to touch and they generate low levels of dust and VOC’s.
From the new design and compression technology to reducing the use of plastic packaging and making it even easier to recycle, we’ve made our range even better for our customers. This means they can focus on delivering better buildings – and ultimately, that’s better for their customers and the environment too.
For further information on Knauf Insulation visit https://www.knaufinsulation.co.uk/
