As countries around the world look for ways to lessen their carbon footprint, the construction industry is a popular target: buildings generate nearly 40 percent of global CO2 emissions each year, with more than 10 percent of that coming from building materials and construction.

Scientists in Germany have developed a way to turn popcorn into an insulation material that’s less expensive and more sustainable and environmentally friendly than current options.

Good insulation reduces heating costs, which lowers CO2 emissions — but some 90 percent of insulation is made from petroleum-based plastic or mineral fiber.

Those non-renewable materials generate carbon during manufacturing and are rarely recycled when a building is torn down, adding to pollution.

A research team at the University of Göttingen has unveiled insulation boards made of granulated popcorn that not only trap warmth in, but offer good protection against fire and are also water-repellent. 

‘This new process, based on that of the plastics industry, enables the cost-effective production of insulation boards at an industrial scale,’ lead researcher Alireza Kharazipour, a professor of technical mycology at the university, said in a release. 

‘Especially in the field of insulation in construction, this ensures that natural insulation materials are no longer just niche products.’

Popcorn, however, doesn’t have polystyrene’s downside, which has been shown to damage the environment and is harmful to humans. 

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