Is Cotton Insulation Batting a Green Insulation Building Product?
Well sure it is insofar as we’re using a natural, grown material rather than an insulation product made from petroleum products (plastics, foams). But “green” is a little tough to pin down. For example, when we evaluate the greeness of cotton insulating batts, the “green” claims we’ve read did not consider the petroleum product consumption in the production of cotton, the transport of cotton to the insulation producer, nor the effects of use of pesticides and fertilizers. These added complexities confound the environmental claims of lots of products, not just building insulation. The health claim, that cotton produces fewer problem particles than fiberglass sounds reasonable, but a study of the health effects that plagued workers in 20th century cotton mills leaves some questions about this assertion as well, at least for the producers of the product. The fiber release of any insulating product depends a lot on where and how it was installed and on its condition and its exposure to dis
