Building Sustainability With Foam Plastic Insulation

Alan Kennedy
2025-04-17 12:28:00
www.visualcapitalist.com

Published

16 mins ago

April 17, 2025

<!– View count beta – CS

| 22 views

–>

Alan Kennedy

Graphics & Design

Lebon Siu

Long form infographic with treemap and bar chart showing that using high-performance foam plastic insulation can help the construction industry reduce emissions.

Building Sustainability With Foam Plastic Insulation

Key Takeaways

Over half of a buildings emissions originate from the embodied carbon in steel and concrete.
Most types of foam plastic insulation contain significantly less embodied carbon than other construction materials.
The reduction in a building’s GHG emissions from insulation can offset the carbon cost of creating the insulation in just a few months.

Buildings and construction are the world’s largest sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for approximately 37% of global emissions. However, foam plastic insulation, like EPS and XPS, helps the building industry become more sustainable by reducing emissions.

For this graphic, Visual Capitalist partnered with the American Chemistry Council to explore how insulation reduces emissions and gives the construction industry a path toward sustainability.

What is Responsible for GHG Emissions in Buildings?

Most of the emissions caused by the construction industry stem from embodied carbon, which refers to the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) associated with the production, extraction, transportation, and manufacturing of building materials.

Consequently, over half a building’s GHG emissions come from steel and concrete.

Material	% Share of Building Embodied Carbon
Steel	32%
Concrete	22%
Services	20%
Aluminum	9%
Steel Reinforcement	4%
Glass	4%
Raised Floors	3%
All Other Materials and Insulation	6%

How Does Insulation Reduce Emissions?

Foam plastic insulation reduces emissions by drastically improving energy efficiency. However, it is also integral to a building’s construction, so the insulation must be sustainable.

The sustainability of insulation is measured by its Global Warming Potential (GWP), which represents the amount of GHGs released or required to produce it.

Material	Embodied Carbon (KgCO₂/1m²)
Glass	36
Marble	12
XPS	6
cc-SPF	4
EPS	4
Polyisocyanurate (Wall)	3
oc-SPF	2

Over the past 50 years, manufacturers have significantly reduced the embodied carbon emissions associated with insulation. Now, most types of foam plastic insulation contain much less embodied carbon than most other construction materials.

The ROI of Insulation

As time progresses, the net reduction in a buildings GHG emissions as a result of insulation can offset the overall carbon cost of creating the insulation just a few months.

Insulation	Carbon Payback Period (months)
Attic Insulation	8.1
Basement Insulation	5.9
Whole Home	5.2
Wall Insulation	3

A Sustainable Path for Construction

The construction industry is among the world’s largest emitters of GHGs, primarily due to the carbon embodied in construction materials such as steel and concrete.

However, by using high-quality insulation, a building can not only improve its energy efficiency but also, over time, create a net reduction in emissions that can offset the carbon cost of many of the building’s materials.

Explore the Benefits of Insulation

Green4 days ago

A Visual Breakdown of Global Waste by Type

Nearly half of all global waste is from an unexpected source. And despite the headlines they make, it’s not paper or plastic.
Green1 week ago

Ranked: Companies with the Most Fossil Fuel and Cement CO2 Emissions

Half of the world’s total fossil fuel and cement carbon dioxide emissions in 2023 came from just 36 companies.
Environment4 weeks ago

Charted: Share of Freshwater Resources by Country

Water is a scarce commodity that is likely to fuel future conflict. View our graphic to see who controls the most freshwater resources.
Green4 weeks ago

Dairy vs. Plant-Based Milk: Which is Greener?

Dairy milk has a larger environmental footprint compared to plant-based alternatives.
Green4 weeks ago

Charted: Renewable Energy Capacity in the U.S. (2014-2024)

Discover how renewable energy capacity in the U.S. has grown over the past decade, with solar PV leading the charge.
Maps2 months ago

Ranked: Google’s Thirstiest Data Centers

Locating and ranking the thirstiest of Google’s data centers in America, by the millions of gallons of water consumed in 2023.

Source Link

Keep your files stored safely and securely with the SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD. With over 69,505 ratings and an impressive 4.6 out of 5 stars, this product has been purchased over 8K+ times in the past month. At only $129.99, this Amazon’s Choice product is a must-have for secure file storage.

Help keep private content private with the included password protection featuring 256-bit AES hardware encryption. Order now for just $129.99 on Amazon!

Start your free Amazon Prime trial
today and unlock unlimited streaming and more!

Help Power Techcratic’s Future – Scan To Support

If Techcratic’s content and insights have helped you, consider giving back by supporting the platform with crypto. Every contribution makes a difference, whether it’s for high-quality content, server maintenance, or future updates. Techcratic is constantly evolving, and your support helps drive that progress.

As a solo operator who wears all the hats, creating content, managing the tech, and running the site, your support allows me to stay focused on delivering valuable resources. Your support keeps everything running smoothly and enables me to continue creating the content you love. I’m deeply grateful for your support, it truly means the world to me! Thank you!

BITCOIN

Bitcoin Logo