Kingspan Insulation has become the first insulation manufacturer to be certified to the demanding BES 6001: Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products standard.

All Kooltherm, KoolDuct and Therma insulation products and cavity closers manufactured at Kingspan Insulation’s British manufacturing facilities are now certified to BES 6001 ‘Very Good’.

The BRE framework standard BES 6001 was developed to enable manufacturers to prove that their products have been made with constituent materials that have been responsibly sourced.  The standard describes the organisational governance, supply chain management and environmental and social aspects that must be addressed in order to ensure the responsible sourcing of construction products.

Kingspan gained every credit that is available in BES6001 apart from those related to reporting and those given if 90% of its raw materials come from suppliers that are certified to ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 or equivalent.

Whilst Kingspan’s reporting is compliant with the standard in all other respects, it dropped credits because it chooses to report combined rather than separate data for both of its manufacturing plants.      The credits for raw material supplier certification to ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 or equivalent were unattainable because Kingspan sources some raw materials from the USA, where such certification is unusual and counter-cultural.   Approximately 85% of Kingspan’s suppliers are so certified.

John Garbutt, Marketing Director for Kingspan Insulation, said “We are delighted to be the first insulation manufacturer to have achieved certification to BES 6001, as it backs up our commitment to sustainability whilst producing high and premium performance products.  There are many benefits to this certification for us as a company and for our customers, who can be confident that our dedication to responsible manufacturing stretches beyond our own factories.”

More information about Kingspan and responsible sourcing can be found on the website: www.kingspaninsulation.co.uk/sustainability