An innovative, circular, waste-repurposing insulation material to reduce CO2 emissions by 80% and energy costs by 30% whilst revitalising rural communities

The construction and agriculture industries are the combined source of 65% of global CO2 emissions. In the UK, agricultural waste in the form of discarded wheat straw is openly burnt, emitting over 220 million tonnes of CO2 per year. Meanwhile, over 3 million UK households live in fuel poverty due to inadequate building insulation.

AGREKA is developing WHEATEX, a one-of-a-kind insulation material that addresses both these issues. It does so by repurposing agricultural wheat straw waste into a long-lasting, non-hazardous/non-toxic building material that lowers energy demand thanks to its high-performing insulation properties. Besides lowering building- and agriculture-related CO2 emissions as well as households' energy costs, WHEATEX is also a circular product: it utilises existing waste to create a sustainable material, and it is biodegradable once it reaches the end of its lifespan.

This means that, unlike competing products, WHEATEX does not require resource extraction (such as planting and harvesting monoculture crops) and does not release chemicals and contaminants into people's homes or the environment.

WHEATEX is poised to help meet the requirements of the Future Homes Standard as well as the UK government's emissions and net-zero goals. Additionally, farmers and rural communities will be instrumental in carrying out the project, and their participation in AGREKA's vision for WHEATEX will benefit farmers and their regions economically.