From waste to thermal insulation for buildings: an investigation of potentialities in the Italian context

The demand for green insulation materials is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years as the building sector moves towards carbon neutrality. Waste-based thermal insulation materials offer a promising area of research that aims to make a significant contribution to energy and resource efficiency while helping the building sector achieve sustainability targets. However, despite the growing interest of researchers, proposed waste-based thermal insulation products are still mostly at an experimental research level, far from ready for the construction market. The study investigates the potential availability of waste materials for use in thermal insulation products, focusing on the Italian context. The objective is to identify available quantities of waste suitable for use in or as insulation products and the possible barriers to their widespread adoption in the construction industry. The methodology starts with an international literature review, followed by an analysis of national waste statistics to verify quantities, and production and/or collection points for each waste. As a result, more than 20 materials are identified as promising for market uptake. The materials are mostly based on early-stage research, thus a lack of comprehensive analysis regarding their performances limits their application in building renovation and highlights the need for further research.