End-of-life of gypsum plasterboard: European case studies analysis

Abstract

Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste recycling is increasingly gaining stakeholders’ attention as an strategy for contributing to sustainable construction. Although a multitude of materials are part of C&D waste, the recycling of certain fractions (i.e. metal or concrete) have a longer-established background, compared with others such as gypsum waste which is still commonly sent to landfill. Efforts are being made in order to promote gypsum recycling practices all over Europe, and the processing of gypsum waste is currently possible, becoming a reality in different regions of Belgium, Finland, France, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, in which different recycling systems are now operating. This study investigates the plasterboard waste end-of-life through a set of comparative case studies in France, Germany and the United Kingdom. The research has been developed in the framework of the Life+ GtoG project: From Production to Recycling, a Circular Economy for the European Gypsum Industry with the Demolition and Recycling Industry. Results provide evidence of best practices through deconstruction, recycling and reincorporation operations. The operational environment of the GtoG project aims achieving a circular economy for the operators of the value chain. © SGEM2015.