Accelerate to Zero Circular Economy Award: IndiNature
Based in the Scottish Borders, IndiNature is the UK's only dedicated manufacturer of natural fibre insulation made from industrial hemp. Their products, IndiTherm and IndiBreathe Flex, are carbon-negative, non-toxic, and designed to be removed, reused, or returned for recycling at the end of their service life.
At the Accelerate to Zero Awards 2025, they were recognised with the Circular Economy Award for embedding genuine circularity into every stage of their production and supply chain.
A zero-waste mill with a closed-loop model
IndiNature's manufacturing facility in the Scottish Borders is the UK's first zero-waste insulation mill. All production off-cuts are returned to the manufacturing process rather than going to landfill.
Hemp fibres are processed using a natural retting method, with food-safe soda salt fire retardants replacing the toxic chemicals commonly found in conventional insulation. Every product carries a digital QR code linking to its full lifecycle, certification and safety data.
The numbers behind the product are compelling. Each square metre of IndiTherm locks in 6.07 kgCO2e, with independent Environmental Product Declarations confirming a net-negative lifecycle footprint of -3.53 kgCO2e/m². Across the past 12 months alone, IndiNature has sequestered over 250 tonnes of CO2. Independent research has also found their hemp insulation outperforms standard mineral wool on thermal continuity, with a 37% improvement in U-value performance and significantly reduced cold bridging.
Revitalising hemp farming and rural communities
IndiNature sources their hemp from farms as close as 12 to 30 miles from their Borders facility, some locally, some in Yorkshire. Through long-term farming contracts, they have revitalised over 50 hectares of industrial hemp cultivation in the UK, supporting rural livelihoods and keeping supply chains short.
Their recent business growth reflects growing market confidence. In the past year, IndiNature became the first natural fibre product to receive BBA certification in the UK, secured an Environmental Product Declaration, and became the only insulation manufacturer accepted for the Ofgem Innovation Uplift, unlocking 25% additional funding for loft applications under the ECO and GBIS schemes.
Scalable by design
IndiNature's model is built to travel. Their "IndiNature Inside" licensing framework enables partners worldwide to adopt their manufacturing processes while maintaining the same circularity and quality standards. Products are compatible with modular and offsite construction.
Their products are already being installed across the UK, from social housing retrofit programmes to historic buildings and new-build pilots with major Scottish housebuilders. BE-ST recently specified IndiNature insulation for the retrofit of Scotland's National Retrofit Centre.
On winning the award
The judging panel felt that IndiNature deserved to win the Circular Economy Award due to the way circularity is embedded into their product. They praised the scalability of the product and the model, and what the organisation has achieved in the last year, including sequestering over 250 tonnes of CO2.
“We’re proud to receive the Accelerate to Zero Circular Economy Award. It recognises the work our team, farming partners and customers are doing to prove that low-carbon construction materials are practical, scalable and circular. Our industrial hemp insulation products, are carbon-negative and designed with the full lifecycle of the product in mind, helping reduce waste, store carbon and improve building performance.”
The award recognises IndiNature as a clear exemplar of circular economy practice in construction as a sustainable product and as a replicable blueprint for how the built environment can become genuinely regenerative.