Nominee Summary
Sisaltech Ltd use natural and recycled fibres, including sheep's wool, to create their low carbon Sisalwool insulation products. They are a purpose-driven business and every aspect of their work attempts to help tackle the climate emergency. Their Circular Economy approach gives waste textiles a new life, they move and manufacture materials in the lowest carbon way possible, and the end result of retrofitting older houses in to reduce their carbon emissions. At end of life their insulation products can also be recycled. Sisalwool is highly breathable, so is very suitable for insulating traditional stone buildings.
Reduction of carbon footprint
From the outset, Sisalwool was designed to be a lower carbon alternative to mainstream insulation products which are very carbon intensive, either being manufactured from oil, or being extremely energy intensive to manufacture i.e. burning fossil fuels to melt rock or glass. Sisaltech starts with natural and recycled fibres, which are low carbon to start with. These include sheep's wool, sisal coffee sacks (which would normally go to landfill), waste cotton/denim from the jeans making industry, and a small amount of recycled polyester as a binder fibre. Manufacturing is significantly less carbon intensive than most other insulation products, using ovens that run at a similar temperature to domestic ovens, rather than furnaces. During the process all edge cuttings and waste are shredded, recycled, and incorporated into the next batch of product. Recently Sisaltech Ltd have made further improvements by changing from international road haulage to shipping via local ports. At end of life their insulation products can also be shredded down and re-manufactured. Sisaltech Ltd have carried out Carbon Life Cycle Assessment work, verified by an external Environmental Product Declaration, and have also achieved BCorp status.
Overcoming challenges
There have been technical challenges to refine and improve the product, e.g. to improve its thermal performance, fire performance, ease of cutting etc, which have taken a number of years but the product in now great and anyone who uses it doesn't want to go back to synthetic products. Building the right team of people with the right mindset and skillsets had also been a challenge but Sisaltech now has a great and dedicated team. Finally funding has been one of the biggest challenges, but after gaining various grants, Sisaltech have been successful at attracting both individual investors and an investment syndicate who are now funding the growth / scale-up stage.
