| Home |
| About Us |
| Where to Recycle |
| Events: |
| Resources: |
| Links |
| Our Sustaining Members: |
 |
| Home > Resources > CRD Waste > Drywall |
Drywall RecyclingDrywall is made of a sheet of gypsum covered on both sides with a paper facing and a paperboard backing. Gypsum is calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO 4 · 2H 2O), a naturally occurring mineral that is mined in dried ancient sea beds. About 12% of new construction drywall is wasted during installation. One way to reduce the amount of drywall waste in new construction is to put the drywall scraps into the interior wall cavities. This provides a little extra soundproofing and insulation and doesn’t hurt anything. Drywall makes up 13% of all CRD waste. Recycling drywall often involves a mechanical process to separate the gypsum from the paper, nails etc. Gypsum with a very small paper content (1-2%) can be used to produce new drywall, in cement production, in fertilizer production and in other agricultural processes. Scrap drywall can be added to composting operations. The paper composts, and the gypsum, although it doesn’t break down, provides calcium and sulfur, which can be beneficial to certain crops or soils. No one in Saskatchewan is recycling or reusing scrap drywall to any extent. The Habitat for Humanity Re-Stores will accept drywall (minimum dimensions ~ 2’ x 2’) for resale, but their capacities are limited. In Alberta, drywall solutions are scarce too. One company, Bio-Cycle Nutrient Solutions, has begun accepting construction drywall scrap and grinding it up for use as a fertilizer and soil amendment. One Canadian drywall recycling success story is New West Gypsum Recycling in Vancouver. Since 1986, they’ve recycled over 2 million tonnes of drywall scrap. Their success is the result of some key factors: a large market, a local landfill ban on drywall waste, and nearby new drywall plants. The landfill ban allows New West to charge a tipping fee ($82.50/tonne in Vancouver) to accept drywall waste. All their recycled gypsum is sold to local drywall producers, who can use more than 25% recycled content in their products. Paper recovered from the drywall is washed and sent to a local paper mill for recycling. Their other facilities (Ontario, U.S. and U.K.) compost the paper. New West has developed systems for handling drywall scrap generated from construction sites, as well as the more problematic drywall from renovations and demolitions. Their system has the advantage of being able to handle either wet or dry materials. New West has also developed a mobile drywall recycling unit. Resources: www.drywall.org, and California's CalRecycle site on wallboard recycling (Source: March 2006 WasteWatch)
|
