Material innovation: developing Autex Acoustics’ first truly circular acoustic material

“Circularity means considering the entire lifecycle of a product, not just how it will be used in the first instance.” Sam Wells, Autex Acoustics’ Product Development Lead, discusses the company’s commitment to creating genuinely circular acoustic products in response to the increasing demand for eco-friendly building materials.

“Our design team are constantly looking for new materials and ways of working. A culture of curiosity is ingrained in who we are and impacts all of the decisions we make. On top of this, we also have a lot of conversations with the market to understand what they need. This information helps to direct our team around the solutions and systems we design. Like every successful product, there needs to be a demand for it otherwise, we can’t truly drive any significant change.”

As part of their material exploration initiative, the Autex Acoustics® team is innovating ways to repurpose their primary material, PET, into acoustic solutions for accessories. This work has provided them with valuable insights into the efforts required to achieve material waste closure.

“The big focus for us has been on creating something that is truly circular. As a result, we need to be designing systems that are sustainable and not one-off products. This ensures the materials we create can be repurposed over and over again,” Wells explains. Creating truly circular systems involves more than producing a recyclable product.

“The intricacies of these systems can be difficult to organise as you need to develop a functioning stream for waste to be collected, a way that the waste can be repurposed, a product to use the waste material, and have this product meet current building standards and market expectations.”

Despite the demand for genuinely circular solutions, there are few practical options available in the building and construction industry. Wells goes on to say “Our industry has an issue with waste, and so there is a demand for solutions that find ways to repurpose and recycle the materials we have access to, extending their life and keeping them out of landfills.”

“Over our 50-plus years, we have shown that we are constantly looking at different materials and how to work with them. We aren’t afraid to explore the unknown and take the opportunity to learn from experts in different fields. This is ingrained in who we are now and how we design. We will continue to look into new materials and ways of working to ensure we are at the forefront of design.” Wells says

The material exploration process presents its own set of challenges. To produce solutions entirely from reclaimed materials, Autex Acoustics must establish a viable manufacturing process, maintain a functioning takeback programme, and ensure the final product meets current building standards.

“This really comes down to planning and communication. As part of the research and development stage, there is a lot of trial and error. We do a lot of testing of our product’s capabilities and get a lot of feedback from the market. Speaking to those who will be specifying and using our products is crucial. They can give us a perspective and insight that we may not have thought of before.”

While sustainability is at the core of Autex Acoustics’ solutions, these products must also be effective and functional. The team understands the importance of balancing these aspects in developing successful acoustic solutions.

“The focus would be on our team to do rigorous testing. The materials used to make the product must meet our standards of manufacturing to ensure a final product with high performance. With high-quality materials at our disposal, we can tweak the final design of a product by adjusting its gauge and density to reflect how it will be used.” Wells explains.

Autex Acoustics is concentrating on the future of reclaimed materials, exploring ways to close the loop both locally and globally.

“There will be a push for the development of systems that help close the loop on waste. We need to think about the whole life cycle of a product and design ways for those who use it to effectively and easily return it once it has been used. This isn’t something that can be solved by one business and will require the collective effort of our industry.”