Second BBA Certification secured for UK bio-based insulation

IndiBreathe Flex joins IndiTherm with a second full BBA Agrément Certificate making breathable, circular, bio-based insulation available at scale in the UK.

BBA Agrément Certificates are a valuable and trustworthy symbol of excellence, recognised in the industry as a differentiating mark of product quality for meeting UK building regulations, and suitability for Trustmark projects in retrofit and a range of warranty providers in new build construction.

From October 2024, IndiBreathe Flex joins IndiTherm with accreditation from the British Board of Agrément.

This represents another huge boost for availabilty, choice and affordability of UK grown and made natural fibre thermal and acoustic insulation that can be specified for retrofit or new build construction projects at scale.

Both IndiBreathe Flex and IndiTherm are bio-based flexibatt insulation, can be reprocessed at the end of life and are the most vapour breathable insulations on the market. They both now also have BBA certification and guarantees with the Installation Assurance Authority for loft, underfloor, pitched roof and internal wall insulation.

So what are the key differences between IndiTherm and IndiBreathe Flex?

IndiTherm - pure industrial hemp fibre for excellent biogenic carbon capture, lower embodied carbon and additional rigidity at a medium density for excellent resistance to slumping, particularly good in walls or pitched roof applications. The first BBA certified UK grown and made industrial hemp insulation.
IndiBreathe Flex - blended recycled jute and industrial hemp fibre increases recycled content for efficient use of material resources, reducting waste. It also enables a lighter insulation for lifting, particularly into lofts, and has exceptional specific heat capacity and vapour diffusion resistance, helping manage heat and moisture, and preserving the building structure.

Jute is known as the ‘golden fibre’ with a long history of being processed in Scotland. Adding recycled jute fibres to the mix for IndiBreathe Flex gives the insulation a warm golden glow.

IndiBreathe Flex has a net carbon capture (cradle-to-gate LCA, 2024), locking carbon into buildings for the life of the building, providing an important carbon buffer to help mitigate climate change. It is re-processable at the end of life and has a low whole life carbon. IndiBreathe Flex is manufactured using UK’s finest industrial hemp from East Yorkshire Hemp and others who are working to help rebuild the hemp supply chain in the UK, and blends recycled jute fibres from hessian sacks.

This is a huge step in decarbonising the construction supply chain. BBA Agrément Certification means IndiBreathe Flex has been assessed for its suitability to meet UK building regulations, and this accreditation unlocks the abilty of larger housebuilders, installers, warranty providers and government funded insulation programmes.

Suitable for retrofit and new build projects, with BBA certification in place (search certificate number: 24/7266, or hemp, or natural fibre insulation) along with a guarantee from the Installation Assurance Authority, IndiBreathe Flex meets all criteria for PAS:2035 in retrofit, can contribute to projects requiring Trustmark and for warranty providers for new build construction.

IndiNature’s Co-founder & CTO, Scott Simpson, who led the certification process said:

“At IndiNature we’re proud to supply healthy, low carbon products manufactured in the UK and made from natural hemp fibres grown on UK farms. The addition of jute fibres from recycled coffee bags in IndiBreathe Flex offers an option for a lighter flexi-batt insulation with excellent performance and is also part of our commitment to taking care of the environment by reducing waste.

This means customer’s build projects made with IndiBreathe Flex will not only continue to benefit from vapour-open, carbon capturing materials but also benefit from even more positive environmental impacts. It also has exceptional specific heat capacity which naturally regulates temperature swings – this means indoor temperatures stay evenly warm in winter and cool in summer, adapting to increasing risks of buildings overheating. A good story for the health of buildings and the health of our planet”.

Alex McLeod, IndiNature’s new CEO added:

“Everyone at IndiNature is very grateful for the team at BBA’s diligence, rigour and speed of response through this latest process. Once again, we have achieved BBA accreditation, now on our next generation of insulation batts, IndiBreathe Flex.

This next generation of products will support embedding carbon into buildings in both new build and retrofit applications and have both a high natural and recycled content. The external validation from the BBA continues to demonstrate that our products have been tested to the highest standards expected here in the UK, providing assurance to, developers, landlords, architects, builders and contractors.

We remain the only UK manufacturer of natural fibre insulation products to be accredited with full BBA agrément certificates and this is already proving to be very positively received by both existing and new clients as we grow our business”.

After two years of manufacturing at the IndiNature Mill in the Scottish Borders, IndiNature has built the capacity to supply insulation at scale. Now after the rigorous quality assessment of manufacturing process and products with British Board of Agrément (BBA) & UKAS testing, IndiTherm and now IndiBreathe Flex are currently the only UK grown and made natural fibre insulation to hold a BBA Agrément certificates.

British Board of Agrément Sales & Marketing Director, Katy Roberts said:

“The BBA is a supporter of innovation and development in the construction sector; providing critical certification services for products looking to establish themselves as credible, viable product solutions that comply to building regulations and clearly demonstrate their fitness-for-purpose.

We are delighted to have worked with IndiNature on their second BBA Agrément certificate for industrial hemp insulation, with this next generation blending recycled jute fibre content which helps support a more circular economy and effective resource use. Working with manufacturers like IndiNature as they move through the BBA’s rigorous and robust certification assessment process, we are encouraged by the commitment to quality and safety throughout the industry; especially in areas like bio-based construction materials in the UK”.