How To Dispose Of Gyprock Waste
Gyprock (aka plasterboard) is a material that is extremely popular in today’s new houses, renovations and housing extensions. But, what is it? And most importantly, how do you dispose of it?
To help you, we’ve put together this quick guide on Frequently asked questions.
What Is Gyprock Or Plasterboard?
Gyprock is a brand name for the building material also known as plasterboard, gypsum board, gib board & drywall. It’s used predominantly for the construction of interior walls and ceilings.
How Is Plasterboard Made?
Plasterboard in simple terms, is made by coverting gypsum to plaster using a small amount of heat. Then the plaster slurry is wrapped in between two sheets of paper and extruded into shape before being allowed to dry to set in a continual manufacturing process.
The final product is a sheet of paper-covered gypsum that is cut to size so it can be hung on building frames to create the walls of your room, house or office.
The resulting plasterboard material is light, cheap, easy to transport and quick to build with.
Is Plasterboard Environmentally Friendly?
Plasterboard has a few environmental pros when compared to other building products:
- It is 99% recyclable
- It’s non-toxic
- It can be recycled into recycled gypsum which can be used to make new plasterboard, closing the loop of a circular economy
- It reduces the amount of energy and equipment used during the building process
How To Dispose Of Waste Gyprock
Learning how to dispose of waste plasterboard can be a little tricky, especially since it needs a special kind of landfill for disposal. While it’s classified as non-toxic, Gyprock can cause toxic gas when it’s disposed of in landfill with biodegradable material.
So with that in mind, you do have a couple sustainable options – taking your waste Gyprock or to plasterboard waste recycling/disposal point, disposing of it at a resource separation facility or hiring a skip bin from a firm that handles the separated waste stream.
Can I Send Plasterboard To A Recycling Site?
The simple answer is yes! There are a large number of plasterboard waste collection points and local independent collectors that use Regyp’s nationwide plasterboard recycling solutions.
The recycled gypsum is repurposed into new plasterboard, or the recycled gypsum is used as a soil conditioner in agricultural applications.
Can Plasterboard Go In General Waste?
Whilst you can put waste plasterboard in with general waste, you shouldn’t. When it’s disposed of along with general waste, it can create a toxic gas called hydrogen sulphide, which can be poisonous, corrosive or explosive in the right conditions. You should aim to dispose of it at a recycling centre or disposal point that recycles plasterboard waste.
Disposing Of Plaster Walls With A Skip Bin
If you’re dealing with lots of renovation waste and you want to dispose of Gyprock/plasterboard in the most convenient way possible please call Regyp to provide you with a disposal/recycling option near you. With a strong focus on sustainability and recycling, all materials deposited with Regyp will be recovered for reuse.
What’s An Approximate Plasterboard Recycling Cost?
Recycling plasterboard can reduce your waste costs and increase your sustainability compared to landfill options.
Example – If you choose to hire Just Skips to remove and recycle your waste plasterboard for you, it ultimately depends on the skip bin size you choose. That’s a lot of unwanted plasterboard.
Bulk loads of clean plasterboard waste attract much lower prices due to volume and cheaper transport costs. For more information contact the office on 1300473497.
To learn more on Sydney plasterboard skip bin option and prices visit Just Skips.
Does Recycled Gypsum Have Glue in It?
When plasterboard is made the main bond between the slurry and paper liner comes from the gypsum setting in the core. The gypsum crystals bind with the paper fibre. During extrusion process on the forming line there are two tiny beads of glue added to the two edges of the face paper so it glues with the small overlap of the backing paper sheet. So whilst plasterboard does contain glue it is very minimal ~ 0.03% w/w
Does Recycled Gypsum Have Heavy Metals in it?
Regyp tests regularly for heavy metals and product quality and given the high analysis natural gypsum making up the majority of the product, the tests results are near identical to of natural gypsum mined from the ground.
