Transforming old cardboard boxes into insulation nets CleanFiber $10 million round

It’s the middle of the holiday season here in the U.S., that magical time between Thanksgiving and Christmas when stores are packed with bodies and porches are piled with packages. All those packages produce a lot of waste — anywhere from 33 million tons to 51 million tons annually, depending on the estimate. A majority of it gets recycled, but there’s still a significant fraction that finds its way into landfills. One startup has a plan to slash that fraction while also cutting the carbon footprint of people’s homes. Buffalo-based CleanFiber takes used cardboard boxes and turns them into cellulose insulation that can be blown into the walls and attics of new and existing homes. As building products go, cellulose insulation is pretty special. Because it’s insulation, it lowers energy use. It’s relatively high performance and low cost. Read more >>