The journey from discarded denim to sustainable insulation
Joanne Howarth
Australia has a huge textile waste problem. Every year, more than 220,000 tonnes of discarded clothing are dumped in landfills.
Australians consume more textiles per capita than any other country, surpassing even the United States. With fast fashion and resource-intensive production models driving it, the environmental impact of the textile industry will continue to grow unless we take urgent steps towards sustainability.
Most commonly used fabrics today are blends of multiple fibres, both human-made and natural yarn, along with components like buttons, zippers, and dyes. These mixed inputs make recycling challenging. To make matters worse, the quality of recycled fibres is often significantly lower than that of the original material. It is for this reason that denim, a wardrobe staple, is notoriously hard to recycle.
Thankfully, there are ways to make denim more circular than it currently is. In this article, I share how Planet Protector has found a way to keep this popular fabric from ending up in landfills.
An Australian innovation: recycled denim insulation
Like the textile industry, the Australian construction industry largely follows a take-make-waste model, accounting for a staggering 39% of the nation’s total waste output. At Planet Protector, we are working to change that. We’ve transformed post-consumer denim into a functional and scalable building insulation material that has the potential to boost circularity in both the textile and construction industries.
Unlike conventional insulation, our Planet Protector Denim Insulation range is free from toxic chemicals or itchy fibres, making it safe for installers, healthier for occupants, and gentler on the planet. It’s available in both batt and roll form, making it perfect to insulate walls, ceilings, and underfloors. Our denim insulation meets all key Australian standards, including the thermal insulation (AS 4859.1) and fire safety (AS 1530.3).
All this, combined with denim’s natural properties, makes Planet Protector Denim Insulation superior in thermal and acoustic performance, durability, breathability, and ease of installation. But here’s the part I am most proud of: Our insulation product is designed and manufactured entirely in Australia at our state-of-the-art fibre processing plant in Altona North, Victoria.
Australians consume more textiles per capita than any other country.
Our insulation product is designed and manufactured entirely in Australia at our state-of-the-art fibre processing plant in Altona North, Victoria.
What’s great about denim?
Those old jeans in your wardrobe that you’ve been planning to retire can actually have a second life as high-performance insulation. At Planet Protector, we’ve figured out a way to make it happen. Here’s why we think denim is the perfect candidate for the job:
Practical and scalable: Transforming denim waste into a high-performance insulation is a powerful example of material innovation that can benefit both the textile and construction industries. Denim waste is a readily available resource in the form of post-consumer, production scraps, offcuts, and unsold textiles. By applying circular economy principles, we have turned this waste into a resource that offers the construction industry the opportunity to move away from energy-intensive traditional insulation materials like fibreglass.
Excellent thermal and acoustic performance: Despite being made from textile waste, denim offers thermal performance comparable to fibreglass and cellulose insulation. Planet Protector Denim Insulation products are compliant with key Australian building standards for thermal and fire performance. They’re available in R-values of R2.5 and R4.0 for wall use and R3.0 to R6.0 for ceilings. A full range of R-values helps builders, designers, and installers to choose the optimal thermal performance for their projects. Denim’s fibre structure provides a superior acoustic barrier, often outperforming fibreglass in sound absorption.
Non-toxic: Made from recycled denim fibres without toxic additives and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), our product maintains healthier indoor environments. It keeps the space cooler in summer and warmer in winter without releasing irritant fibres into the air. For these reasons, denim insulation is a safer alternative not only for occupants but also for those installing it.
Easy to handle: Unlike fibreglass, our denim-based insulation is soft, flexible and contains no itch-causing shards. It can be safely installed without gloves, safety goggles, or protective clothing. This reduces labour time while improving onsite safety.
Sustainable: Fast fashion and increasing urbanisation have made the textile industry a major contributor to the global waste crisis. Denim insulation provides an opportunity to keep some of that waste out of landfills. Unlike fibreglass or foam-based insulations, denim insulation is made using recycled denim fibres. The process is less energy-intensive and free from toxic chemicals. As a result, our product exceeds standard expectations in embodied energy and lifecycle sustainability.
The circular economy in practice
At Planet Protector, we pride ourselves on designing products that can help the world transition from a linear take, make, waste economy to a circular one. Our WOOLPACK technology was created to replace the toxic polystyrene packaging with a renewable and high-performing waste wool-based alternative.
Like polystyrene, fibreglass poses several environmental concerns. It is a composite material manufactured from plastic resin and glass fibres in an energy-intensive process where hazardous air pollutants and VOCs are emitted. As a non-biodegradable material, fibreglass will stay forever in landfills, releasing microscopic fibres into the air. With denim insulation, we are closing the loop by turning fashion industry waste into a resource that can foster a more circular economy, just like we did with our waste wool packaging.
This closed-loop process begins by sourcing landfill-bound post-industrial re-purposed denim fibres to manufacture the insulation. The fibres are cleaned and treated for fire-retardant properties and moth prevention before they are turned into insulation. Insulation can be returned to us through our take-back program to reintegrate into our manufacturing.
What this means for Australia’s future
Local, resilient supply chains
When Planet Protector was born, our supply chain was heavily dependent on offshore processing. So, even though the wool was grown in Australia, it had to be sent offshore for processing. That’s why we decided to set up a fibre processing plant, right here in Australia. It has enabled us to offer contract manufacturing services to the Australian market. This means more Australian-made products and local and transparent supply chains with reduced time to market.
Enhanced sovereign manufacturing capability
Our fibre processing facility is equipped with state-of-the-art machinery capable not only of processing any type of fibre input but also of manufacturing a range of non-woven products, from acoustics to geotextiles. We can turn landfill-bound materials, including wool and denim waste, into high-value products. Our denim insulation batts are a clear testament to that.
Greater circularity
By giving a new lease of life to materials that would otherwise end up in landfills, we are bringing circularity to a diverse range of industries. Unlike fibreglass insulation, our product is a closed-loop solution. It can be reused and reinjected into the construction supply chain. By opting for denim insulation, Australian construction companies can lower their environmental impact while ensuring the health and well-being of occupants and installers.