Insulation Advice

Plasterboard Recycling for Energy Reduction

In a world that is increasingly concerned with energy consumption and climate change, most people are aware of the many benefits of recycling. It’s not a particularly difficult concept. Basically, it takes less energy and causes less pollution to recycle products instead of making new ones. So, why not recycle?

For decades now we have been told to recycle our aluminium cans, newspapers, and plastic bottles, but there are other recyclable materials we rarely hear about. For example, have you ever heard of plasterboard recycling ? Plasterboard (or gypsum) is a common building material used in almost all new construction projects around the global.

How common is it? Gypsum wallboard and plasterboard is used in ceilings, walls, and for heating and insulation units. But Gypsum is used for more than just new construction. Whenever a home or building is torn down to make room for something new, there is literally tons of plasterboard that must be disposed of.

And while gypsum is not toxic or hazardous to the health like asbestos, disposing of it has become a major problem. How major? According to recent numbers, more than 40,000 tons of gypsum is deposited in landfills around the world. That is the waste equivalent of 40,000 cars!

As you might imagine, this one popular material is causing landfills to overflow at a record pace, which costs cities money and forces them to reallocate vital resources to deal with the problem. One recent solution is gypsum wallboard and plasterboard recycling. Though the technology and its application is fairly new, there are several UK companies that now offer this important service.