Since 2012, Blue Phoenix has collaborated with ROCKWOOL on the Rockcycle return scheme for stone wool. More than 60 municipalities and many demolition companies and companies across the country now use the scheme. The collaboration is a return system that ensures that stone wool in Denmark can be collected at our many facilities around the country, or via a public recycling station that we collaborate with. The stone wool material is then transported to our recycling facility in Erritsø, where it is treated and prepared before finally being sent back to ROCKWOOL factories to be used in the production of new ROCKWOOL insulation products. This saves significant natural resources and reduces the climate impact of shipping new material. In the majority of ROCKWOOL's new insulation products, you will find up to 30% recycled stone wool thanks to Rockcycle.
Both public recycling stations (supplies) and private demolishers or contractors can deliver used stone wool to Rockcycle.
For Blue Phoenix customers, it is possible to stay updated on your total quantities of stone wool submitted for recycling and see current recycling figures for the fraction via our customer portal.
These companies currently recycle stone wool along with ROCKWOOL and Blue Phoenix:
The construction industry accounts for approx. 40% of all waste produced in Denmark. If we are to tackle a climate and resource crisis, the majority of that waste must be recycled in the future. Stone wool, which is used for insulation products, is made from nature's own resources – stone. When the stone wool insulation leaves ROCKWOOL, the product is designed for full recycling. This means that the insulation can be reused again and again without the material losing its good qualities.
But that's easier said than done. A lot of stone wool waste still doesn't end up as new insulation because the material is contaminated or mixed with other non-recyclable materials before we receive it at one of our reception and processing facilities. That's why we at Blue Phoenix work with the entire value chain in the construction sector to protect and maintain the good, natural qualities of the material and avoid pollution.
Municipalities, contractors and demolition workers who make an effort to separate stone wool from glass wool and avoid contamination of the material via e.g. selective demolition, can therefore be rewarded with DGNB points from the Council for Sustainable Construction. Recycling of used stone wool is thus one of the cornerstones of the circular construction of the future.
"Our production process is ideal for recycling. Since 2012, together with RGS Nordic, we have collected, processed and taken back used stone wool from municipal recycling stations, RGS Nordic facilities and construction sites for our factories. Stone wool can be reused again and again without losing quality. It gives us a unique position in the insulation market to be able to offer our recycling scheme as part of the DGNB points system and we are proud of our contribution to the circular economy”
Christian Kofod,
Head of Sustainability ROCKWOOL Nordics.
1. Customer agreement
As a utility, municipality, demolition contractor, private contractor, developer or developer, you can enter into an agreement with Blue Phoenix and participate in the return scheme for used stone wool, Rockcycle. It starts with you registering for the recycling scheme at www.rockwool.com/dk/rockcycle.
You are also welcome to contact our sales department. We will then help you through the steps for registration.
At Blue Phoenix, we will draw up a customer agreement for recycling and point you to the nearest Blue Phoenix facility to receive your stone wool waste. We are also happy to assist with issuing a DGNB certificate as sustainability documentation in collaboration with ROCKWOOL. The price for recycling will generally be on par with local landfill prices.
Contact Blue Phoenix customer service today and find out more about the recycling scheme by calling 88 77 90 90.
2. Receiving your stone wool waste
Blue Phoenix receives stone wool waste at the vast majority of our many reception and treatment facilities throughout Denmark. We have clear product descriptions and receipt controls for all the construction waste we receive, including stone wool. This is important in order to ensure a high and continuous quality of the stone wool that we deliver to ROCKWOOL for use in Rockcycle products. Our specialized plant for recycling stone wool is located in Erritsø near Fredericia, where we receive stone wool from all over the country.
Collected stone wool material from all over the country is processed at Blue Phoenix's specialized recycling facility in Erritsø, before the processed stone wool is sent to ROCKWOOL's factories. This includes the material for the production of new insulation products, Rockcycle.
3. Quality control
When the stone wool waste arrives at one of our Blue Phoenix facilities, a visual inspection of the material is first carried out. Plastic, plaster, wall ties, gypsum and other unwanted material are sorted out. If the stone wool is packed in returnable bags, the waste is first placed separately before the contents of the bags can be inspected. It is important to ensure that stone wool and glass wool are not mixed together.
We also regularly carry out random samples of stone wool waste to ensure that the material does not contain contamination. Waste that is contaminated cannot be recycled, and even small fractions of contaminated rock wool can affect the quality of the final processed rock wool, which amounts to approx. 30% of ROCKWOOL's Rockcycle product.
4. Processing for recycling
At our electrically powered recycling plant in Erritsø near Fredericia, we receive all the collected and sorted stone wool waste. Here, we annually treat approx. 12.000 tonnes of used rockwool, but the plant is geared to be able to receive much more. The stone wool goes through mechanical sorting before the finished sorted stone wool is granulated. It is this granulated stone wool that must meet a number of defined quality requirements, set by ROCKWOOL, before it can be included in the production of new insulation products. Once the quality requirements have been proven at ROCKWOOL, our granulated, recycled stone wool replaces up to 30% of new materials in the production of Rockcycle insulation products.
