News
Environmental Update (June 2009)
Gypsum wastes banned from landfill
As of 1st April 2009, the Environment Agencies in
England, Northern Ireland and
Wales have revised their policies for disposing of
gypsum waste to landfill. Previously, waste containing less than
10% gypsum could be sent to landfill however, the environment
agencies have now removed this guideline value. Sulphates in gypsum
from waste plasterboard can produce toxic hydrogen sulphide gas
when they come in to contact with biodegradable waste in landfill.
To combat this, all gypsum waste in any quantity is banned from
normal landfill from 1st April 2009, and must now go to
a separate cell for high sulphate waste. This ban was
already in place in Scotland.
Gypsum-based materials that are classified as hazardous waste
must be disposed of in a hazardous waste landfill.
For those types of businesses using high gypsum content
materials, you should: -
- make sure that you set aside a dry storage area for bagged
plaster mix. This will reduce wastage and may save you money;
- not wash mixed or dry plaster into drains or surface waters as
this can cause water pollution;
- recycle clean, uncontaminated plasterboard; and
- allow wet, mixed plaster to go off before disposal. You must
not dispose of liquid wastes to landfill.
For construction businesses operating site waste management
plans, you should: -
- look to avoid the use of gypsum based materials; and
- segregate gypsum-based materials from other hazardous/ special
and non-hazardous/ non-special waste types.
You must separate plaster, plasterboard and other gypsum
products from your general wastes, as they contain high levels of
sulphate.
In England and Wales the
Environment Agency and WRAP are developing a Quality Protocol for
producing and using products made from gypsum from waste
plasterboard. Uses include:
If you follow the protocol, the gypsum will normally no longer
be classified as waste, so it can be used without waste management
controls.