Cradle to Cradle-certified acoustic panels with reduced carbon footprint win German Sustainability Award

On Thursday 1 December, Jesper Kvist, Country & Business Development Manager at Troldtekt GmbH, stepped up onto the stage in Dusseldorf to receive the prestigious German Sustainability Award 2023. The award in the ‘Design’ category went to Troldtekt acoustic panels based on the low-carbon cement type FUTURECEM from Aalborg Portland.

“I felt incredibly proud as I went up onto the stage at the awards ceremony. Troldtekt is one of only 15 companies to receive the award, so we’re in very distinguished company,” says Jesper Kvist.

Troldtekt acoustic panels are made from Danish wood and cement. The cement gives Troldtekt panels their strength, long service life and effective fire protection properties. But it also accounts for almost the entire carbon footprint of the panels.

Jesper Kvist continues:

“Therefore, it is something of a revolution that we’ve started to use a new type of cement which has a significantly lower carbon footprint than traditional cement. At the same time, Troldtekt based on FUTURECEM is – like our other acoustic panels – Cradle to Cradle-certified at Gold level. And now leading experts have confirmed that we at Troldtekt have taken a huge step, and we hope that the award will provide inspiration for other manufacturers of cement-based products.”

Significantly lower carbon footprint

FUTURECEM exploits the synergies between calcined clay and limestone filler. In this way, much of the fired clinker in the cement can be replaced, resulting in cement with a lower carbon footprint.

Over their entire product life cycle, the carbon footprint of Troldtekt acoustic panels based on FUTURECEM is:

• 26.4 per cent lower than for Troldtekt based on grey cement
• 37.7 per cent lower than for Troldtekt based on white cement.

With its Cradle to Cradle certification, Troldtekt is now able to document that its acoustic panels contain no harmful substances. Troldtekt cement-bonded wood wool can be recycled in the biological cycle as a soil conditioner, and in the technical cycle as a raw material in cement production.  

Jury: An impressive solution

Both the lower carbon footprint and the Cradle to Cradle certification carried a lot of weight for the German Sustainability Award’s expert jury. Among other things, they justify the choice of Troldtekt as the winner as follows:

“The carbon footprint of the new acoustic panels from Troldtekt is 30 per cent lower than for comparable products ...

… While the wood ensures breathability, the cement adds the desired strength, durability and fire protection properties. And completely without the use of harmful chemicals. The panels have a useful life of 50-70 years and can then be recycled rather than ending up as waste (Cradle to Cradle-certified at Gold level). In this way, the Troldtekt acoustic panels contribute to the certification of climate and eco-friendly architecture under the leading certification schemes, while at the same time adding distinct aesthetic value.”