From Waste to Warmth: Using Recycled Clothing as Home Insulation

Overview

Every year, millions of tonnes of old clothing end up in landfills. But what if your worn-out jeans could keep a house warm instead? This project explored whether recycled materials could work as home insulation. A custom test box fitted with thermocouples collected over 100,000 data points to see how recycled materials measure up against regular home insulation. The results showed that recycled clothing insulation performs better than store-bought R-14 insulation, without any binding chemicals, and that shredded clothing works even better. This research shows that clothing waste could become a building material, reducing landfill waste and the energy needed to manufacture regular home insulation.

Awards (2)

• Silver Medal
• Selected for CWSF 2026

Competition history

• CWSF 2026 Natural Resources

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