Ragn-Sells and ROCKWOOL in collaboration to recycle rockwool
Together with the Danish company ROCKWOOL, Ragn-Sells is presenting a recycling solution for rockwool. The collaboration will make old rockwool new, resulting in a reduced amount of rockwool going to landfill – with the companies thus taking joint responsibility for a higher degree of recycling. The process makes the rockwool into new products with the same high quality as before.
The cross-border collaboration was initiated by ROCKWOOL, with headquarters in Doense, Denmark, with the aim of taking joint responsibility for increasing the recycling of rockwool.
- We are working continuously to find solutions for materials that are not yet recyclable. There was therefore not a moment’s hesitation when ROCKWOOL asked if we were interested in a collaboration, says Jon Lille-Schulstad, Director of Raw Materials within Ragn-Sellsföretagen.
Today all old rockwool is sent directly to landfill from building sites. The collaboration enables Ragn-Sells and ROCKWOOL to instead present a new recycling solution, with left-over rockwool being converted into new products with the same high quality as before. The process entails Ragn-Sells in Norway and Sweden collecting rockwool from contractors and building sites. The rockwool is compressed and sent to Ragn-Sells’ plant in Denmark, from where it is sent to ROCKWOOL’s factories. The recycling process entails Rockwool melting down the rockwool, which is manufactured from volcanic rock and which can be re-used again and again, and preparing it for re-use.
- We will shortly be starting a pilot project to test the solution in practice and we are hoping that the market will react positively, Jon Lille-Schulstad says.
Important that contractors perceive the opportunities
For the project to succeed, the initiators are dependent on contractors coming on board, and Hans-Joachim Motzfeldt, Senior Advisor at ROCKWOOL, is optimistic.
- There is a strong demand for circular solutions today, and the construction industry is subject to increasingly strict requirements for waste management. Being the first to offer such a solution in Norway and Sweden means that we are satisfying the market. We are now hoping that the major contractors will perceive the opportunities in this.
- ROCKWOOL’s rockwool consists of 98 per cent rock, which makes it an almost completely recyclable product. It is thus particularly important that we utilise the opportunities to a greater extent than we currently do, he says.
Together for the environment
Motzfeldt feels that initiating a collaboration with Ragn-Sells was a natural step to take.
- Ragn-Sells has been in the market for a considerable time, and know what they are doing. Furthermore, we already collaborate on rockwool recycling in the Danish market.
Motzfeldt also believes there will be further collaborations of the same kind in the future.
- There is a clear trend; the environment affects us all and we must act across industries in order to develop new and better recycling solutions. It is something that we all benefit from, Motzfeldt says.
Facts: Rockwool
Rockwool is used for thermal and acoustic insulation in building structures and is made of volcanic rock.
As an insulation product, rockwool has several unique advantages:
- Longevity
- High level of fire safety
- Reduces sound