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Gypsum Recovery Reuse for Construction
13 August 2019
John Herbert
Director
Gypsum board more commonly known as plasterboard or drywall is a very
common construction product, it is used practically in every project,
yet tonnes of this valuable mineral are needlessly dumped into landfill
every year, and that is a problem.
Landfill disposal is not an easy option, it can be problematic,
due to the release of toxic compounds, some jurisdictions in
North America have already banned gypsum/plasterboard from landfill
sites.
✅ Want to discuss circularity call John Herbert 📞 +852 2335 9830 today!
Above: Waste gypsum destined for Hong Kong landfill
Instead, gypsum can be recovered, and used to make new plasterboard.
Gypsum is indefinitely recyclable
The process for recycling and re-use is hardly difficult, if the
material can be effectively separated from general construction
waste, it can be recycled, processed and mixed to form the raw
material used to make new plasterboard, or use for other new
products.
It is environmentally effective to recover used gypsum
locally than to pay for excavating, mining, and shipping
virgin ore.
Above: Gypsum Recycling credit: gypsumtogypsum.org
Used plasterboard can also be re-purposed and used as
fertilizer, ask a farmer, actually it is used as soil
conditioner, providing soluble form of calcium and
sulphur for improving the condition of the soil.
Gypsum is also a by-product of boiler flue gas cleaning
process, in Europe, a drywall company set up its factory
close to the power station to use the by-product as its
raw material. Gypsum sourced from flue gas cleaning
is clean, and doesn't risk the typical "contamination" nails,
paint, etc. that result from typical demolition projects.
Policy
If the buyer (contractor) is free to purchase any type of
plasterboard in the market, with few exceptions cost is the
primary metric, particularly when other metrics such as
environmental benefits, and recycling content are less
than clear.
To clarify for the consumer the benefits of using recycled
materials, in the absence of regulations, creating a cost
difference between virgin and recycled gypsum board is the
fastest path to adoption.
When the HKSAR Government introduced a small charge to buy
a supermarket plastic shopping bag the entire sector changed
within weeks, smart shoppers opted to bring a shopping bag, and
the use of single plastic shopping bags dropped dramatically
indicating that consumers are very cost sensitive, so it is
a powerful tool for promoting more sustainable practices.
✅ Want to discuss circularity call John Herbert 📞 +852 2335 9830 today!
About the Author
John Herbert is a
veteran chief engineer with more than 30 years international engineering experience, educated in
the United Kingdom, he has worked in the United Kingdom and then across Asia for more than two
decades engaged by international and local companies. He is a Hong Kong Registered Energy
Assessor (REA), a BEAM Professional, and stationed in Hong Kong.