It is against the law to kill or disturb protected animals, and that risk is very high in some insulation work. Nature-friendly insulation is a method in which insulation takes place in a nature-inclusive manner, or taking into account protected animal species, such as house sparrows, bats and swifts that can live in the cavity or under the roof and with which you can come into contact when you insulate. It prevents animals from dying. That is why it is mandatory to engage a nature-friendly insulation company for a number of insulation measures.
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"How does nature-friendly insulation work?"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"An insulation company that insulates in an nature friendly way has followed special training. The nature-friendly insulation method therefore has a few extra steps compared to regular ways of insulation.
Bio-based insulation is not about the method of insulation, but about the raw materials used in the insulation materials. With bio-based insulation materials, the raw materials come from nature, such as plants, bacteria or mycelium. They have the property that they can be grown, harvested, used and reused in an ecological way in an endless cycle.
For instance:
Where traditional insulation materials often have a negative impact on the environment during production and/or disposal, many bio-based insulation materials offer an ecologically responsible solution.
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Is bio-based insulation better for the climate?"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"Bio-based materials come from natural raw materials. This means that far fewer greenhouse gases are released in the production of raw materials and in the production process, but the emissions are not zero. Moreover, they sometimes contain additives that are environmentally harmful, non-natural or difficult to recycle.
In general, traditional insulation materials cost much more energy and produce a lot of CO2 emissions. For example, to make rock wool, high temperatures are required, which are achieved through the combustion of fossil fuels. Other traditional insulation materials, such as PUR, PIR and EPS, require chemical and fossil raw materials.
Not all bio-based materials are better for the environment. For example, sheep wool has much more environmental impact than rock wool, glass wool, PUR or PIR. This is because sheep cause methane emissions, the manure provides extra nitrogen in the soil, which reduces biodiversity and poison is used in the sheepskin to combat pests.
Milieu Centraal has provided all kinds of insulation materials with an environmental score that takes into account greenhouse gases, transport, toxins and influence on nature.
"},"textLinks":[{"text":"Check the score of insulation materials","url":"https://www.milieucentraal.nl/energie-besparen/isoleren-en-besparen/isolatiemateriaal-kiezen/#milieuscores-beter-dan-gemiddeld-of-afrader"}]},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Frequently asked questions"},{"accordionList":[{"richBody":{"value":"The fact that you insulate is much more important than the material you use. By insulating you save a lot of energy, which is good for the climate. It is also very important that you choose a high insulation value (Rd) and that you apply the material properly so that it lasts a long time.
"},"title":"How important is the choice of material when insulating?"},{"richBody":{"value":"Plants absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis while they grow and much of this carbon dioxide is then stored. The CO2 remains in the insulation material as long as it is used. Bio-based insulation materials can therefore extend the duration of CO2 sequestration, but at the end of the lifespan that CO2 is still released. For example, because wood decomposes or is burned. It is not yet common practice to include the CO2 that has been absorbed in the environmental costs.
"},"title":"What about carbon storage with bio-based materials?"},{"richBody":{"value":"Yes, from 2024 you will receive an extra subsidy if you use bio-based insulation materials. This is on top of the 'normal' subsidy for insulation. The bio-based materials that meet the requirements can be found on the meldcodelijst isolatiematerialen en biobased bonus by RVO.
"},"title":"Is there an additional subsidy for bio-based insulation materials?"}],"componentType":"accordion"},{"componentType":"linkList","iconTitle":{"title":"And what’s also useful to know…"},"textLinks":[{"text":"National Heat Fund: borrowing on favourable terms","url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/national-heat-fund"},{"text":"Making your apartment building more sustainable with your Homeowners’ Association (HOA)","url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/upgrade-your-apartment-with-your-hoa"},{"text":"More greenery around your home","url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/more-green-around-the-house"},{"text":"Energy-efficient ventilation","url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/ventilation"},{"text":"How does a heat pump work?","url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/heat-pump"},{"text":"Going gas-free step by step: here’s how","url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/gas-free-living-step-by-step"},{"text":"Repairing foundations and preventing further damage","url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/foundation-risks"},{"text":"All about energy labels","url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/energylabels-for-homes"},{"text":"How to use more of your own solar power","url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/increase-self-consumption-of-solar-power"},{"text":"How to keep your home cool in summer","url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/tips-to-keep-your-house-cool-in-summer"},{"text":"Home batteries","url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/home-battery"}]}]},"hasMacro":false,"id":"eb85f744-ab99-4008-9c4e-1b032a70514f","localeString":"en-GB","mainHeaderZone":{"backLink":{"textLink":{"text":"Upgrade your home","url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living"}},"componentType":"productHeader","coreHeader":{"body":"Are you interested in better insulation? Then there are different materials to choose from. Most materials benefit the climate because they save energy consumption at home. Yet some materials have more environmental impact than others. On the other side, nature-friendly insulation isn't about the material you use to insulate, but the method in which it is done. You can read more about it here.","headerImage":{"extension":"jpg","original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/1313ba31d1b1083d/original/A-mother-and-her-young-todler-push-wheelbarrows.jpg","transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/29f28091-d46f-4156-9cac-5ec186a4f5c5/A-mother-and-her-young-todler-push-wheelbarrows","type":"image","width":5700},"subtitle":"What exactly do both mean?","title":"Nature-friendly and bio-based insulation"},"headerNotification":{"notification":{"body":"The tips and info you're reading here is from the independent information organisation Milieu Centraal.","notificationType":"information","personalizationTaxonomy":{"taxonomyType":"personalizationTaxonomy"},"productTaxonomy":{"taxonomyType":"productTaxonomyContainer"}}}},"publishDate":"2026-03-23T15:38:50.359+01:00"}}