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General: Hazardous waste --------- plasterboard!!

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  1.  
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeSep 7th 2007
     
    A local builder put a couple of naff half sheets of plasterboard on a waste skip. When it came to paying for the skip the 'wasters' charged him for the skip that he had plus another one to put the plasterboard in!!!! ie double !! Gypsum is dug out of the ground and squashed between paper.

    Can anyone throw any light on why it could be considered a problem? ( I know we don't like plasterboard but it is pretty difficult for builders to avoid)
    •  
      CommentAuthorted
    • CommentTimeSep 7th 2007 edited
     
    From http://www.wrap.org.uk/construction/plasterboard/background.html

    "However, from July 2005 the eu Landfill Directive required that high sulphate wastes (including plasterboard and other waste gypsum products) are reclassified as non-hazardous non-inert wastes. Implementation of this in the UK (as regulated by the Environment Agency) requires that when the concentration of plasterboard waste is above a certain level it can only be landfilled in separately engineered cells, segregated from other waste types, in non-hazardous landfill sites."

    Also when handled separately it can be recycled.

    And according to this http://www.wrap.org.uk/construction/plasterboard/about.html not all Gypsum comes out of the ground. It is also produced by the scrubbers in power station chimneys! You learn something new every day.
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeSep 7th 2007
     
    So Ted, is that saying that some small proportion of plasterboard should not be a problem?
  4.  
    A friend of mine was turned away from his local council recycling centre with a boot full of plasterboard. If if can be recycled then shouldn't there be some facilities for doing so?
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeSep 7th 2007
     
    Why wouldn't they take it? What are people supposed to do with it?
  6.  
    I might be wrong but I think my friend said the guy at the site said something about dust???? Anyway, he put it in his wheely bin in the end. Took a few weeks to get rid it all...

    Generally, I find, now that I'm an avid recycler and composter, there is so much room in my wheely bin that I no longer have a problem getting rid of building waste. There ought to be better facilities for recycling more construction waste. Too much still goes in the skip.
    •  
      CommentAuthorted
    • CommentTimeSep 8th 2007
     
    The Environment Agency guidelines are a max 10% sulphates mixed in general waste. Above this figure it must be kept separate.

    Not all Recycling Centres have facilities for plasterboard unfortunately (our local one doesn't).

    These people provide a specialist service - not cheap though. http://www.pbruk.co.uk/what.htm
  8.  
    Depending on your soil type, a bit of gypsum can be a useful fertiliser.

    But of course it's just another reason why lime is the building maerial of choice for most purposes. Why is it that there should ever be any waste plasterboard? If people didn't use it you wouldn't need to throw it away.
  9.  
    Ours goes in the 'General Household' container at the 'recycling site', as does the Green waste and the wood when the skip's full!
  10.  
    Why would you ever want to give away 'green waste' or wood?
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeSep 12th 2007
     
    Now wrap are saying 10% is OK but dept of environment 5% There is a problem brewing here and waste companies are cranking up charges.
  12.  
    There really don't appear to be any health and safety issues with gypsum. As well as being used for plaster, it's also used in foodstuffs (tofu) and as fertilizer. So the only reason for its reclassification as a waste material is to encourage the recycling of plasterboard. Or am I missing something?
    •  
      CommentAuthorted
    • CommentTimeSep 12th 2007
     
    Gypsum is classified as non-hazardous but also non-inert by the EU Landfill Directive 33 criteria so now can only go to Type 2 landfill sites (or be recycled).

    When mixed with organic waste and rainwater it can create Hydrogen Sulphide gas - the culprit in the 'rotten eggs' smell coming from many older landfill sites and lethal in high concentrations.
  14.  
    Posted By: Mark Brinkley[gypsum] it's also used in foodstuffs (tofu)


    So that's why tofu often tastes so dismal!

    Paul in Montreal
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeSep 12th 2007
     
    They told me that the worry was sulphates dissolving and poisoning the land. All sulphates are soluble!
    •  
      CommentAuthorfostertom
    • CommentTimeSep 12th 2007
     
    Oive oil in the frying pan, dash of balsamic, dash of tamari, slice the tofu, dunk both sides in the juice, leave to marinade couple of minutes, put pan on high heat c0uple of minutes, turning the slices once. That's not tasty? Must be joking! Tofu is almost tasteless, but packed full of protein and anti-oxidants - it's a blank sheet waiting to carry whatever flavour you choose to create.
  17.  
    Posted By: tonyAll sulphates are soluble


    Barium Sulphate isn't.

    Posted By: fostertomOive oil in the frying pan, dash of balsamic, dash of tamari, slice the tofu, dunk both sides in the juice, leave to marinade couple of minutes, put pan on high heat couple of minutes, turning the slices once. That's not tasty? Must be joking! Tofu is almost tasteless, but packed full of protein and anti-oxidants - it's a blank sheet waiting to carry whatever flavour you choose to create.


    Tom, actually I like tofu, especially in Thai food. I just thought it was funny that Mark sort of implied that tofu is made from old plasterboard!

    Paul in Montreal.
  18.  
    >>I just thought it was funny that Mark sort of implied that tofu is made from old plasterboard!

    You mean it isn't?
  19.  
    To go back to my original point, is the reason we can't dump gypsum because there is a soil leaching issue, or is it to encourage the new industry of plasterboard recycling? Re leaching: if gypsum is a harmless as tofu, why does it matter if it leaches into the soil? And aren't landfill sites lined to prevent leaching in any event?

    My suspicion is that the purpose of this initiative is to recycle plasterboard. Which is all well and good if the facilities are there to handle plasterboard, and your site is producing copious amounts of the stuff, but makes little sense if it means having to drive an extra 50 miles in order to throw away a few off cuts from Granny Goggins loft conversion. Or more likely, be double charged by the skip company in order to meet the obligations of the eu Landfill Directive.
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeSep 13th 2007
     
    Recycling is possible and a couple years ago a plasterboard supplier was going to do this with return loads and drop off points at builders merchants but only for their own clean new plasterboard offcuts etc. As far as I know it is not happening in that way now. There are a very few, too few, recycling centres but like you say it means hauling waste arround.

    I m sure the waste companies are going to increase their profits as much as possible with minimum effort. Like what is happening to waste plasterboard right now? They are charging more and very likely doing with it what they always did.
  21.  
    'Why would you ever want to give away 'green waste' or wood? ' says Biff.

    Sorry Biff, only just seen this. I wouldn't, but I have observed this at the tip (sorry, recycling facility), and noted the ebsurdity of it.

    Nick
  22.  
    That should say absurdity!
    • CommentAuthorbiffvernon
    • CommentTimeSep 13th 2007
     
    Ah yes, I've seen it too. There seems no limit to the absurdness of human behaviour.

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