Rockfon has received a Highly Commended Award for Eco-innovation, for its Create and Protect upcycling service, at this year’s AIS Best Practice Awards. Showcasing the very latest in innovative thinking, the awards were presented at the AIS conference at the Forest of Arden Hotel in November.
Rockfon’s Managing Director, Jason Hemingway, accepted the award on behalf of the company, saying: “Rockfon has always had a strong commitment to the environment and sustainability, and we’re proud to play our part in helping the wider industry reduce its environmental impact. We’re delighted that our achievements have been recognised and rewarded with this prestigious award.”
Rockfon’s new manifesto ‘Create and Protect’ echoes the established expectations of what Rockfon stands for. The enhanced upcycling service complements not only their new branding but also the main aims of the AIS Ceilings Sustainability Partnership action plan to reduce ceiling tile waste and find alternative uses for waste in the industry.
For many years, Rockfon has had the ability to upcycle their own stone wool end-of-life ceiling tiles and offcuts. Under the new initiative, Rockfon will also receive wet felted mineral wool ceiling tile waste of any age and in any quantity from any refurbishment project, provided that Rockfon products are installed in their place. Rockfon then upcycles the waste materials back into their stone wool manufacturing process. The Rockwool insulation products made using recycled materials are of equal quality to those made from virgin raw materials.
The judges praised the initiative: “The partnership working through the Ceilings Sustainability Partnership is great to see - this collaborative working should be congratulated. Recycling of any mineral tile from any manufacturer back into equivalent product is an excellent development the industry needs to embrace.”
To guide specifiers, clients and contractors through the process, Rockfon has produced a number of resources, including a dedicated web page at www.rockfon.co.uk/upcycling. Here you will find a short video entitled “Things are looking up for the environment”, a guide to Upcycling, and an infographic outlining the whole process from receipt of waste materials through to production of new stone wool products, coupled with facts and evidence of Rockfon’s rock-solid sustainability strategy and new brand positioning “Create and Protect”.
By preventing mineral wool ceiling tiles from going to landfill, Rockfon is protecting the environment. By installing Rockfon stone wool ceilings with their holistic benefits, it is helping to create better indoor environments.