Carbon-12: IndiNature, IndiTherm.
Image credit: Tim Ainsworth
In association with:
IndiNature produces UK industrial hemp insulation, manufactured on the Scottish Borders using hemp grown in East Yorkshire.
Its product portfolio includes IndiTherm and IndiBreathe Flex.
Carbon credentials
- Manufacturer: IndiNature
- Product: IndiTherm
- Material: Hemp fibre, soda salt, binder
- Applications: Insulation
- Carbon status: Carbon negative
- Accrediting body: Data from Zhou, 2019. Full Carbon Life Cycle Assessment of IndiTherm®
- Additional credentials: BBA
- EPD: Yes / No / Pending
An EPD for IndiTherm is available on request. IndiNature has an LCA for IndiTherm and an LCA for IndiBreathe Flex.
Image credit: Tim Ainsworth
Image credit: Tim Ainsworth
The enterprise of founder and chief technical officer, Scott Simpson, IndiNature was spurred out of Scott's education on the M.Arch Sustainable Architecture course at the Centre of Alternative Technology, during his lab-based research into natural insulation materials.
He used his family home as a case study; rebuilding and extending it using the best natural materials available. The three-bed home now has energy bills 25% of the average and keeps humidity and temperature even, comfortable and healthy all year long.
However, he found that the products were hard to source, expensive and had to be imported. Passionate about the accessibility and affordability of healthy building materials in the UK, Scott set up IndiNature, harnessing the carbon absorbing capabilities of UK grown hemp crops.
At present, the hemp is grown by farmers in East Yorkshire, but trials have been taking place with farms in the Scottish Borders to reduce the carbon footprint even further by sourcing the raw material locally. Hemp is a fast-growing annual crop, making it a highly renewable and sustainable crop capturing ‘now’ carbon.
Image credit: Tim Ainsworth
Hemp-based insulation stores carbon. It has a net capture of carbon - meaning more carbon is stored in the product than was emitted to make it. This is unlike other insulation materials, which produce huge amounts of carbon as a by-product of their production process. IndiNature products can be used in the majority of building projects as insulation for internal framed walls, suspended timber floors and lofts.
IndiTherm is both warm in winter and cool in the summer. Hemp has great thermal performance reducing heat loss. Natural fibre insulation reduces the risk of buildings overheating. It does this by passively storing and releasing excess heat to keep temperatures level all year long.
IndiTherm has passed the UKAS accredited Reaction to Fire standard EN 13501-1. For smoke, the product has the best Class rating of s1. For flaming droplets, the product has none, with a Class of d0.
It’s vapour breathable – excess water vapour is safely transported out of buildings; keeping indoor air healthy and structures dry to extend the lifespan of buildings.
Hemp fibres are safe and soft for installers to handle. Its natural regulation of humidity means reduced risks of damp and mold as well as healthy indoor air - making it a far healthier material alternative to its synthetic counterparts.
It also has excellent sound dampening properties, achieving building regulations with 40db sound reduction in internal partition walls.
By keeping structures dry, hemp helps preserve buildings including historic and listed buildings. The batts provide simple friction fit and have the added advantage of being more rigid to resist slumping.
In February 2024, IndiNature reached an important milestone, becoming the first UK company manufacturing industrial hemp insulation to obtain a full agrément certificate from the British Board of Agrément (BBA). This means the hemp-based products can be used by the housing and construction sectors at scale for both new build and retrofit projects, as well as historic and listed buildings.
IndiNature has recently been specified in a sustainable housing development showcasing the best in natural high performing construction materials. Nansledan - a project launched by the Duchy of Cornwall - implemented IndiTherm for insulating the twin-walled timber frame system.
It has also been used in the refurbishment of Long Furlong House, private residence of King Charles and Queen Camilla, specifying IndiNature's internal insulation to floors and walls for the project.
IndiNature provides an environmentally efficient and sustainable alternative to conventional insulation materials as part of its mission to decarbonise materials for the built environment sector.
Experience the Carbon-12 installation at Material Source Studio Manchester & Glasgow to learn more about IndiNature's carbon storing insulation materials.
