From Production to recycling- a Circular Economy for the European

GtoG (from Gypsum to Gypsum)
From Production to recycling- a Circular
Economy for the European Gypsum Industry
with the Demolition and Recycling Industry
Brussels, 13 May 2014
Presented by Christine Marlet –Secretary General
Eurogypsum
Managing Gypsum resources in an
eco efficient way
Opportunity: the eternal recyclability of
Gypsum products
• Sustain the increasing demand raw material
while preserving our natural resources
• To create a circular economy, closing the loop
must become a priority.
The Context:
• Gypsum: rock life mineral used in ≠ applications
• Variety of Gypsum sources:
 Natural gypsum ≈ 20 Mt of gypsum
 Synthetic gypsum ≈ 8Mt whom 5,2 Mt used
for Plasterboards & blocks
 Recycled Gypsum
cities are urban mines
The GtoG Life + project: the
recyclable products
The product:
• More than 1,600 million m2
of European interior
surfaces covered with
plasterboards every year.
• More than 5 million tons of
plaster/year are used in
Europe for interior lining
The GtoG Life + project
Objectives:
• Transform the Plasterboard demolition
market achieving higher rates of
recycling
• Initiate the path to circular economy
for the Plasterboard market. We are
looking to close the loop effectively!
Levers:
• Application of best deconstruction
practices
• Waste sorting & segregating at source
• Innovation of the processes for the
incorporation of Gypsum Based Waste
(GBW) in production
The GtoG Life + project: means and
methodology
A consortium of 17 partners
led by Eurogypsum with great
expertise for a collaborative
project between the recycling
& demolition Industry with
the Gypsum Sector.
An unique integrated supply chain approach
VALUE CHAIN
ANALYSIS: MARKET
SURVEY
DECONSTRUCTION
PILOT PROJECTS
GYPSUM WASTE
REPROCESSING
AND
QUALIFICATION OF
RECYCLED GYPSUM
REINCORPORATION
OF THE RECYCLED
GYPSUM IN THE
MANUFACTURING
PROCESS
The GtoG Life + project: make it
work!
How to make Urban Mining effective!
DIMANTLE THE BUILDING
Current deconstruction practices
• Deconstruction versus demolition:
• Buildings currently demolished and not dismantled;
• Unsegregated waste goes to landfill;
• No possibility to recover valuable recyclable materialsamong others plasterboard waste.
• Deconstruction requires:
• a separation and selection of those recyclable wastes "in
situ".
• No to mixed waste
• Regulatory requirements for deconstruction in
Europe:
•
•
no regulatory requirement when choosing to demolish or
to deconstruct buildings in the 8 target countries of the
project
But regulatory audit of the materials prior to demolition in
France
Dismantling the buildings
1
4
2
3
5
6
Copyright-Recovering SARL
Dismantling the buildings
Sorting on site
Dismantling the buildings
Logistics
Waiting for treatment
Stockpiled plasterboard
awaiting recycling
Recycled gypsum constitutes approximately 89% of the
output,
paper and vinyl/foil linings approximately 8%, and
contaminants approximately 3%.
Recycling plasterboard waste
NWGR
GRI
Recycling Plasterboard Waste
Gypsum recycling facilitaties:
• Ensure no physical and/or chemicals contamination of
the demolition gypsum waste
• Remove the paper liner which is isolated for further
processing elsewhere
• Process the plasterboard waste through a series of
stages to render it to the manufacturer’s
specification.
Recycled material after
separation from paper
Examples of contaminated
plasterboard waste
Segregation and identification of
mixed plasterboard waste
(production-construction and
demolition) as those will need to
undergo different reprocessing.
Heavy metals content of recycled gypsum in the
gypsum demolition waste should also be
considered and analysed
Recycling of laminates
(sandwich panels: polystyrene
glued to plasterboard) –
separation of the polystyrene
from the plasterboard
Recycling Process
GtoG Main findings: re-incorporation in the
manufacturing process
Key issues for re-incorporation:
• Re-incorporation needs adaptation of the production process when
a high percentage of recycled gypsum is re-incorporated in the
manufacturing process.
•
•
•
Then the purity of gypsum becomes essential.
Recycled gypsum need further grinding and generally plants are
looking for specific grading (particle size).
General practice: to control the paper content amount in the recycled
gypsum generally below 1%.
• Higher recycling standards are needed for re-incorporation of
recycled gypsum in to the plasterboard production exclusively
using Gypsum
•
Intensive sieving is then required to obtain a good grain size
comparable to FGD gypsum particle size
• Consistent volume and quality enables a uniform reincorporation
of recycled content in the final board product, effectively
promoting an increase in the recycled content without damaging
the manufacturing process.
Re-incorporation in the manufacturing
process
GtoG Main findings: Conclusions
• Better of EU and local law for optimising recyling
– Member states are not all at the same step
– EU regulation is not implemented in a harmonized manner
taking into account local specificities and interests
• In depth knowledge of demolition and dismantling
practices


Dismantling/deconstruction is definitely not a widespread
practice in EU
Though several practices were identified in F/B/UK/NL
• Recycling of plasterboard demolition waste happens
– But still in a few countries (UK, France, Belgium, Holland,
Scandinavia)
• Re-incorporation happens
– In the countries and the plants where recycling happens
– Currently average between 10 and 15% re-incorporation
• Aim in the GtoG: Re-incorporation of 30%
Thank you for your attention

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