Plasterboard Waste Regulation
It is the responsibility (Duty of Care) of the construction or demolition site to manage all waste streams, to dispose of waste in a proper manner and to classify the content of individual waste skips.
The Legislation in brief
The next stage of the European Directive on Landfill Waste came into force on the 16th July 2005, and the Legislation has a broad scope. Below is listed a brief resume of the implications of the Directive with regard to plasterboard waste. Gypsum, the main raw material for plasterboard, is a sulphate and is classified as non-hazardous unless it is contaminated with a hazardous substance.
It has a sulphate content range between 53% and 58%. All waste loads with a sulphate content greater than 10% by weight are subject to the revised Regulations. If the content of a load of waste contains small amounts of high sulphate bearing waste, e.g. where the sulphate content by weight is less than 10% (Typically up to 20% of actual plasterboard by weight), it may be deposited in any normal non-specific cell.
If the content of the load contains larger amounts of high sulphate bearing waste, e.g. if the sulphate content by weight is greater than 10% (greater than 20% of actual plasterboard by weight), it must be disposed of in a separate cell where there is no biodegradable waste.
You should view this as a working guideline and not a requirement or precise measurement. It is recommended to discuss your waste acceptance procedure, with our Wasteline.
Impact on our Industry
The cost of gypsum waste disposal will increase considerably year on year as landfill costs rise, at this early stage the number of sites capable of offering segregated gypsum cells are very small and widely geographically spread. The effect of the change in Regulations is: Suppliers, merchants, developers and contractors will need to adopt a new mind-set with regard to waste particularly in respect of:
- Segregation of gypsum waste on site
- Additional landfill costs
- Additional labour costs
- Additional costs incurred for contaminated loads
The onus lies with the developers/ contractors to order and utilise plasterboard to minimise waste, by ordering the most appropriate sizes and making practical use of off-cuts where possible rather than simply throwing them away. It is vital that developers/ contractors instil on-site disciplines to ensure that gypsum waste is segregated in a separate skip and no other waste is introduced into it.
Recycling will become an increasingly viable alternative both financially and environmentally as the cost of landfill increases. Estimates are suggesting that over the next 5 years the cost of landfilling gypsum could increase by as much as 300%.
