Waste and Reuse...

2 October 2009 v.3

GPDA STATEMENT ON PLASTERBOARD RECYCLED CONTENT

Current Position

Plasterboard is a highly sustainable product: new plasterboard may have a recycled content of almost 100% and nearly all plasterboard is 100% recyclable after use. As a result, plasterboard often has the highest recycled content of any of the construction products in a new building.

Based on a GPDA survey, the average recycled content in GB (Great Britain) produced plasterboard in 2008 was 61%, which compares with an average across the EU in 2007 of 44% according to data collected by Eurogypsum. The survey results confirmed the GB industry as one of the European leaders in recycling, with performance ahead of the EU average.

Origins of Recycled Content

According to the internationally accepted definition in ISO14021, recycled content in plasterboard can derive from 3 sources: - Secondary fibre in the plasterboard liner, accounting for up to 5% by weight, - Post consumer gypsum recovered from construction or demolition site waste, typically accounting for 5 – 15% (and subject to a technical limit of around 25%), - By-product gypsum from Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) or other industrial processes.

For these reasons the recycled content most commonly found in GB plasterboard is either 10-20% or 100%, depending on the gypsum sources used.

Continuous Improvement

In order to protect the environment, preserve resources and promote the long term interests of stakeholders, the GB plasterboard industry is highly motivated to build upon its leading position in resource efficiency with further improvements:

• The ground-breaking Ashdown Agreement on Plasterboard Recycling, signed with WRAP in 2007, will result in an increase in the average recycled content in plasterboard by the end of 2010
• The change in the landfill guidance from 1 April 2009 requires that visible plasterboard waste cannot be disposed of in general landfill but must go to a non-hazardous single cell. The greater cost of such disposal has increased the demand for cost effective closed-loop recycling.
• the plasterboard industry is also promoting greater recycling through its support of the Environment Agency & WRAP Quality Protocol programme and the new BSI PAS109 : 2008 “Specification for the Production of Recycled Gypsum from Waste Plasterboard”.

Product Declaration

No distinction is made between products containing gypsum from different sources as the performance of the plasterboard products and drywall systems are unaffected. In addition, the GB manufacturers do not declare the recycled content of individual products or batches of supply in order to avoid market distortion with higher costs to customers and impacts on the environment.

Several methods are used to assess the sustainability of materials used in construction award credits according to product recycled content, eg Responsible Sourcing of Materials section in the DCLG Code for Sustainable Homes (ID Ref : Mat 2). In view of the position outlined above, the GPDA proposes that the figure of 61% be used wherever a recycled content figure is required to assess the contribution of plasterboard systems being used in a building in GB.

Conclusion & Outlook

The industry is working with the DEFRA Sustainable Products & Materials (SPM) team to further improve the sustainability of plasterboard products across all life cycle stages. Its product stewardship approach will be kept under review as these cradle to grave life cycle models are further refined. By so doing the GB plasterboard industry will build upon its lead in Europe and thereby improve the sustainability of all buildings in which plasterboard is used.

Much has been written about the plasterboard industry in connection with waste generated from the construction process.

The introduction of waste acceptance criteria (WAC) for high sulphate content products in July 2005 has encouraged many in the general construction supply chain to review and debate future solutions.

The initiatives by DEFRA, through specific resources allocated under WRAP, has created the opportunity for a number of studies and reports to have been published (www.wrap.org.uk/construction/plasterboard).

In addition the BRE are also preparing a document on this subject as part of the Market Transformation Programme (www.mtprog.com).

The GPDA has monitored progress on this important subject and now feel it is appropriate to clarify a number of inaccuracies contained in some of the reports mentioned previously and more positively indicate what we see is the role of manufacturers and progress to date.

The information given will by necessity, be general principles only as each manufacturer has and will continue to provide services and solutions individual to each company.

The WAC we believe was drafted currently with the intention of providing solutions appropriate to different market sectors. In reality, however, interpretation of the legislation has worked against this intent.

The allowable 10% sulphate content we believe is wholly appropriate for the small contract RMI market and for dealing with demolition waste.

We recommend that the ‘10% rule’ remains but the spirit of the legislation better enforced.

New Construction

No firm market size information is available nor is collating such information permissible under competition rules to which we strictly observe.

The application of plasterboard splits into the three classic sector splits approximately as follows:

• Housebulding 30%
• Commercial Industrial 30%
• Repairs Maintenance Improvement 40%

The percentage site scrap level from new contractors varies from sector and project. Estimates in the reports already written vary significantly.

However, for new construction waste, a figure for 2006 of between 250-300,000t is we believe a reasonable estimate. For forecasting purposes a 5% annual growth could be considered.

Quite clearly this is a more complex market to estimate. WRAP estimate plasterboard arising from this sector to be between 0.5 - 1Mt p.a. We have no further comment to add as we do not have better knowledge or information.

Significantly at this stage we do not see a role for the GPDA member manufacturers due to the contamination issue of waste arising from demolition work.

The sources of gypsum used by UK plasterboard manufacturers varies. Gypsum is a naturally occurring mineral, which can be mined or quarried. Sources used in UK plasterboard production could come from within the UK or imported, principally from Spain. The quality and material content of these varies considerably and within each individual source.

Synthetic forms of gypsum are also extensively used. The main source is the raw material resulting from the gas desulphurisation of fossil-fuelled power stations (FGD). Again, these sources are available in the UK and imported. They also vary extensively.

The technology to utilise varying raw gypsum materials is expensive and complex. The operational management of plasterboard factories is also complex. A major element of this is the production of the plaster slurry made from the raw gypsum, in a controlled and consistent manner.

The further introduction of other variables into this process, like recycled plasterboard, is possible but only under certain conditions and quality constraints. It is not without risk in terms of efficiency and quality.

GPDA members have invested and continue to invest heavily in improving processes to enable increased volumes of recycled product to be used. It is not a preferred choice of raw material over virgin sources and is a more costly material to deal with.

(Reduce, reuse, recycle, recover and disposal)

Reducing waste has to be the prime objective. Whilst this is the responsibility of designers and contractors, within all manufacturing standard ranges are an extensive range of board sizes to enable a modular design approval to be undertaken.

Comments have been made about manufacturers’ ability to produce bespoke lengths. This is the choice of individual manufacturers, however, plasterboard production is a high volume manufacturing process. Making bespoke lengths is possible but the inefficiency generated increases costs significantly and producing to exact quantity is inevitably not achievable thus producing a possible excess of non-standard board, which in itself will create waste. Careful selection of appropriate board sizes and use of off-cuts onsite will reduce overall waste.

With the inevitability of some waste being generated, construction sites need to establish the discipline of segregation. The waste industry has the expertise, in collaboration with plasterboard manufacturers and independently, to provide an appropriate service to the construction industry for the collection and logistics system necessary. Greater focus on this subject will encourage further development and opportunity within the business sector.

Comments have been made about reverse logistics, i.e. the vehicle delivering plasterboard collects the waste for return to the producing factory. In general terms this is not a workable solution. The delivery of plasterboard is invariably made in small quantities from a merchant’s or distributor’s stock. In addition the waste receptacle almost certainly will require a specialist vehicle.

GPDA members have invested both directly and through third parties to provide routes for segregated, clean plasterboard waste to be delivered to reprocessing stations.

Apart from the GPDA members’ contribution to reducing landfill, other uses for recyclate should be developed. In certain parts of the country, and until the waste reprocessing chain is more mature, a local reuse opportunity could be the more appropriate solution. A faster approval route for soil improvement is one consideration.

Priority should be attached to the recyclate arising from demolition waste, where there is potentially greater volume and where recycling in plasterboard manufacture is not an option.

Independent of the focus provided by changing legislation, GPDA member schemes have made some meaningful impact in reducing new build waste to landfill.

Early schemes have been developed to provide housebuilders with a solution appropriate for their sites. Initial success has taken place with the major developers which is now being offered to regional contractors.

From this experience, adapted schemes are now available for commercial projects, with growing success.

It is to be emphasised that the manufacturer schemes and role is today offering a solution to medium to large projects in the new build residential and commercial sectors only.

Executive Summary

WAC 10% rule to be clarified for RMI/Demolition only

Market for new build waste in 2006 - 250-300,000t

Manufacturers have the capacity to deal with newbuild waste, however, Recyclate is a difficult and costly to use raw material source

Design solutions can reduce waste – bespoke sizes not necessarily the answer

Need for agencies to prioritise other solutions for demolition waste

Manufacturers already have developed solutions for new build waste on medium to large projects