An industry in need of change
One third of Europe’s waste comes from construction. In Belgium alone, this amounts to over 20 million tonnes every year (source: Buildwise – BuilD Forward 2030).
In light of this, we wanted to go further than producing bio-based materials: we wanted to offer a truly circular solution, preventing waste both at the factory and on construction sites.
Giving hemp a second life
With RecyHemp, residues from production or building sites are no longer wasted: they are directly reintegrated into our manufacturing chain. Our blocks now contain up to 5% recycled material, while retaining their full performance and lasting over a century.
This recycled aggregate is also one of the raw materials used in HL Mix, our insulating plant-based aggregate. And soon, it will find its place in new products.
This innovation represents an investment of €1.25 million, with €460,000 support from the Walloon Region. A symbolic milestone: IsoHemp is now the first global player to recycle hempcrete on an industrial scale.
Hemp, much more than insulation
Since 2012, our journey has been built on a strong conviction: hemp is a concrete alternative to conventional materials.
- It naturally regulates temperature and humidity.
- It reduces the need for air conditioning in summer.
- It can cut energy bills by up to 70%.
- Every m² of hemp blocks stores carbon for the long term.
For comparison, one hectare of hemp absorbs up to four times more CO₂ than one hectare of forest.
A vision becoming reality
Today, IsoHemp has more than 50 employees, produces 1.25 million blocks per year, carries out around 2,000 projects annually, and continues to grow by 20–30% every year.
Two thirds of our projects involve renovation, a key sector for decarbonising the existing building stock.
As co-founder Anthony De Mot highlights:
“Our goal has always been to work in a closed loop. The challenge was to adapt equipment capable of processing hemp and separating the aggregate. Today, it is possible. This is one more step towards sustainable construction, where innovative materials can fully compete with conventional solutions.”
With RecyHemp, we reaffirm our ambition: to show that it is possible to build differently, respecting the planet, without compromising on comfort or performance.
