More and more homeowners are insulating roofs and walls to reduce heating costs and lower carbon dioxide emissions. However, any environmental benefit is often countered by the choice of material. In general mineral or glass wool, or foamed plastics such as styrofoam or polyurethane are used. Only around five percent of insulation materials are made from sustainable raw materials such as rush, flax, hemp, straw or wool. This is despite the fact that mats made from natural materials have distinct advantages: relatively little energy is used in their manufacture, they are not associated with any health risks and, when they have fulfilled their use, they can be industrially composted - provided that they contain no synthetic components - or burnt without harm to the environment.

Together with four partners (Hock GmbH & Co. KG, NAPRO GmbH & Co. KG, BAFA GmbH, University of Stuttgart LBP), the Fraunhofer ICT has developed a new, completely biogenic thermal insulation material. This is based on hemp (which is native to Germany), and is held together with biopolymers extracted from corn starch. The natural insulation material is light, has a low thermal conductivity and, after it has been passed through a soda-bath, meets fire protection requirements.