Demand for green buildings, and the materials that go into them, has remained relatively upbeat during the global recession.  Future market growth for green buildings and the commensurate use of green materials will be driven by a combination of policies and regulations that prioritize energy efficiency and green design.  With the expansion of voluntary certification programs for green buildings, cost reductions for green materials, and consumer demand is evidence that green building will have a market advantage.

Navigant Research estimates that the worldwide market for green construction materials will grow from $116 billion in 2013 to greater than $254 billion in 2020.

The Federal Trade Commission recently updated its Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims.  The “Green Guide” outlines the guidelines and requirements for companies and marketers making claims about their products’ environmental benefits.  This update by the FTC is an attempt to rein in the rampant “green washing” that is all too pervasive in the building materials industry and many others.

Cellulose insulation manufacturers are more than comfortable with these new FTC rules.  CIMA and its members have been producing products that are the gold standard of green building for many years.  It’s easy to meet these FTC rules, and make the claim for being green and environmentally friendly, with a product that is up to 85% recycled waste paper-the majority of it post consumer waste newsprint.  The fact is, cellulose insulation divers paper from landfills converting it into a highly efficient insulation material that saves energy, reduces green house gasses and sequesters carbon in the walls of buildings and homes for years and years.  On top of that, it requires a fraction of the embodied energy required to produce other leading types of insulation like fiberglass and foam.  That’s why CIMA and its members confidently states that cellulose insulation is “The Greenest of the Green.”