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The material of our panels

Recycled PET felt: why this material, and not another.

Behind every ACOUSTELIO panel, a single core material: PET felt, partly made from recycled plastic bottles. Light, free of irritating fibres, fire-rated and printable without losing its absorbing power, it has good reasons for becoming the go-to in acoustic treatment. We explain what this felt is, why it absorbs sound, how it stacks up against mineral wool and melamine foam, and what it becomes at end of life. An honest comparison, without glossing over its limits.

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Recycled PETPart sourced from bottles
No irritating fibresInstalled bare-handed
Fire-ratedEN 13501-1 B-s1,d0
PrintableWithout losing absorption
Recycled PET acoustic felt fibres seen in macro: the porous structure that absorbs sound

The material

PET, from bottles to panel.

PET is the abbreviation for polyethylene terephthalate. It is one of the most widespread plastics in the world, the one used for water and soda bottles. Its great quality for our use: it spins easily into fibres. So we start from PET, part of which comes from recycled bottles, reduce it to fibres, then bond those fibres into a dense felt.

The bonding is done through a thermal process. Heat welds the fibres together, with no added glue or chemical binder. The resulting panel stands on its own, keeps its shape, cuts cleanly and does not crumble. To the touch, nothing like a hard plastic: it is a matte felt, close to a thick textile, pleasant to the eye and to the hand.

This recycled origin is not a surface argument. Giving bottles a second life means diverting material from the waste stream to make a durable fit-out product. And since PET remains a thermoplastic, the loop can close at end of life, more on that below.

Panneau acoustique en feutre imprimé, motif vu de près
Panneaux acoustiques en feutre de plusieurs coloris, côte à côte
Panneau acoustique en feutre aux formes arrondies, texture veloutée

The mechanism

Why a porous felt absorbs noise.

An acoustic panel does not stop sound like a wall. It absorbs it, which is different. PET felt belongs to the family of porous absorbers, and its principle is simple to grasp. When a sound wave reaches the panel, it does not bounce back: it enters the network of fibres.

Inside, the wave sets the air in motion between the fibres. This motion creates friction, and this friction turns part of the sound energy into a tiny amount of heat. The sound thus loses strength with each pass, until it fades out, instead of returning into the room and feeding the reverberation. That is the whole magic of a material both dense enough to slow the air and open enough to let it in.

PET felt is calibrated to work well across the mids and highs, between 250 and 4000 Hz roughly. That is exactly the band of the human voice, so of the noise that really disturbs in an office or a restaurant. To go further on measuring this performance, see our page on the NRC absorption coefficient.

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Gros plan de panneaux acoustiques hexagonaux en feutre PET, tons charbon et terracotta
Macro de l'épaisseur et des fibres d'un panneau acoustique en feutre PET
Gros plan de baffles acoustiques verticaux en feutre suspendus

The strengths

What PET felt does well.

Four concrete reasons that make it the reference material for panels exposed to the eye, in occupied spaces.

Light and non-irritating

Handled and installed bare-handed, with no itchy fibres or stinging dust. Ideal in occupied spaces.

Fire-rated

Compliant with EN 13501-1 B-s1,d0, the level expected in public buildings. The test report comes with the order.

Printable

Takes a logo, brand identity or visual in high definition without clogging the pores, so without losing any absorption.

Sustainable

Part of the material sourced from recycled bottles at the input, and a recyclable thermoplastic at the output.

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A panel that absorbs, secures and carries your brand.

PET felt brings together acoustics, fire compliance and printing in a single product. Let's talk about your project.

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An honest comparison

PET, rock wool or melamine foam?

Three common absorbers, three trade-offs. Here is where each shines and where it falls short, without embellishing.

 
PET felt
Mineral wool
Good absorber on the voice
Installed without irritating fibres
High-definition printable
Does not crumble, holds up on display
Resistance to very high temperatures
Ideal use
Visible acoustic treatment, in occupied spaces
Thermal insulation and technical rooms

And melamine foam? Light and high-performing, but fragile: it crumbles, marks at knocks, ages badly in the light and takes printing poorly. Fine for a technical room, less so for a wall exposed to the eye. PET felt holds up better over time and presents itself far more nicely.

PET
polyethylene terephthalate, part of it recycled
0
irritating fibre released on installation
B
reaction-to-fire euroclass (B-s1,d0)
100%
thermoplastic, so recyclable at end of life

Safety

No irritating fibres, unlike wool.

It is one of the most telling gaps with mineral wool. Rock wool and glass wool absorb sound very well, no one disputes it. But their installation gives off microfibres that itch the skin and irritate the airways. Hence the gloves, the mask and the long sleeves recommended at installation, and the caution for spaces where people work right next door.

PET felt does not raise this issue. You handle it bare-handed, cut it without a cloud of stinging dust, and once in place it stays stable, without releasing fibres into the ambient air. For an open-plan office, a classroom, a practice or a restaurant, that is an on-site comfort and a peace of mind in use that count.

To be fair: mineral wool keeps a real edge on resistance to very high temperatures, which makes it valuable for thermal insulation. But that is a different job from acoustic treatment. To treat the echo of an occupied space, PET felt ticks the right boxes without the handling drawbacks.

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The signature advantage

A material you can print, without sacrificing sound.

The matte surface of the felt takes high-definition printing. Logo, brand identity, mural or photo go directly onto the panel. The trick: the ink stays on the surface and does not clog the porous network that does the absorbing. Sound keeps entering and dissipating in the fibres, so acoustic performance is preserved. You get a panel that corrects noise and carries your identity in the same object.

A real asset for a head office, a client space or a signature wall. See how printed made-to-measure works.

High-definition printing on a PET felt acoustic panel

The footprint

End of life: the loop can close.

Choosing a sustainable material only makes sense if you look at its whole life, not just its origin. PET felt holds up on both ends. At the input, part of its material comes from recycled plastic bottles, so from diverted waste. At the output, it is a thermoplastic, a material that can be remelted and reused.

A panel whose absorbing part is single-material sorts more easily than a composite mixing several layers that are hard to separate. That is a clear advantage for recycling in the plastic stream. The logic of responsible purchasing thus extends all the way to dismantling, instead of stopping at the recycled-material argument.

The best possible end of life remains a long first life. PET felt does not compress, does not crumble and keeps its look for years indoors. A panel that lasts means less replacement, so less footprint. Durability is also a matter of ecology, not just robustness.

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Écran de séparation acoustique en feutre gris chiné dans un open space, bord arrondi vu de près
Panneau acoustique imprimé de formes terracotta et sable, au mur d'une salle de réunion
Baffles acoustiques en feutre charbon et terracotta suspendus au-dessus des postes de travail

Frequently asked questions

Recycled PET felt: your questions.

What is acoustic PET felt?
PET is polyethylene terephthalate, the same plastic as water bottles. For acoustics, it is turned into fibres, then those fibres are bonded into a dense, rigid felt through a thermal process, with no added glue. The result is a light, porous, structured panel that stands on its own and cuts cleanly. Part of the material comes from recycled plastic bottles, giving a common waste a second life. This felt is nothing like a hard plastic: to the touch, it feels like a thick, matte textile. It is now one of the reference materials for acoustic treatment in offices, restaurants or public spaces, because it combines good absorbing power, safety and ease of installation.
Why does PET absorb sound?
Because it is porous and fibrous. When a sound wave enters the felt, it forces air to circulate through the network of fibres. This friction of air against the material turns part of the acoustic energy into a tiny amount of heat, so the sound fades out instead of bouncing back. That is the principle of any porous absorber. The density of the fibres and the thickness of the panel set the effectiveness: dense enough to slow the air, open enough to let it in. PET felt is calibrated to work well across the mids and highs, that is, the band of the human voice, between 250 and 4000 Hz roughly. That is exactly where comfort is won in an office or a room, which explains its perceived effectiveness once installed.
Is PET healthier than mineral wool?
When it comes to handling and indoor air, PET felt has a real advantage: it does not release irritating fibres. Rock wool and glass wool absorb very well, but their installation gives off microfibres that itch the skin and irritate the airways, which often calls for gloves, a mask and protection. PET is handled bare-handed, cuts without stinging dust and stays stable once in place. So it suits spaces occupied continuously, like an open-plan office or a classroom, where you want neither airborne fibres nor heavy precautions. Note: mineral wool keeps the edge on resistance to very high temperatures, which reserves it for thermal insulation, a different use from acoustic treatment.
How does PET compare to melamine foam?
Melamine foam is another common absorber, light and high-performing, often grey or anthracite. It absorbs well, but it stays fragile: it crumbles, marks at the slightest knock and ages badly in the light. It accepts colour and printing quite poorly. PET felt, by contrast, is more robust, does not crumble, cuts cleanly and takes high-definition printing across its whole surface. On durability and visual finish, PET takes the edge for a use exposed to the eye. Melamine can stay relevant in technical rooms where looks matter little. For an office, a restaurant or a lobby, where the panel is seen and sometimes branded with a logo, PET felt is generally the more durable and more presentable choice.
Can you print on PET felt without losing absorption?
Yes, and it is one of its big advantages. The matte, fibrous surface of the felt takes high-definition printing: a logo, a brand identity, a mural or a photo go directly onto the panel. The secret is that the print stays superficial and does not clog the porous network that does the absorbing. Sound keeps penetrating and dissipating in the fibres, so acoustic performance is preserved. In practice, you get a panel that corrects noise and carries your identity in the same object, instead of an anonymous grey tile. You approve an artwork proof before production, so the result holds no surprises. It is our speciality, and it is what sets a well-crafted acoustic wall apart from a plain hidden technical treatment.
What happens to a PET panel at end of life?
PET is a thermoplastic, so a material that can be remelted and reused. A PET felt panel is in principle recyclable in plastic streams, which extends the sustainability logic beyond the purchase. It is a clear advantage over composites mixing several materials that are hard to separate. Since the panel is single-material in its absorbing part, sorting is simpler. Its lifespan is already long: it does not crumble, does not compress and keeps its look for years indoors. So the best end of life remains a long first life. For a buyer attentive to the footprint of their fit-out, PET felt ticks the boxes: partially recycled material at the input, recyclable at the output, durable in between.
Gros plan de panneaux acoustiques hexagonaux en feutre PET, tons charbon et terracotta
Détail de la surface fibreuse mate d’un panneau acoustique en feutre imprimé
Macro de l’épaisseur et des fibres d’un panneau acoustique en feutre PET
Panneaux acoustiques en feutre de plusieurs coloris présentés côte à côte
Gros plan de baffles acoustiques verticaux en feutre suspendus
Panneau acoustique en feutre aux formes arrondies, texture veloutée de près

A good acoustic panel does not just absorb noise. It installs without irritating, proves itself against fire and recycles at end of life. PET felt does all three.

The material we chose for every panel, from the printed wall to the ceiling baffle.

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A material that keeps its promises, from sound to the planet.

Send us your project: we choose the thickness and layout of the PET felt to suit your space, and price everything within 48 h.

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