Gypsum is primarily sourced from either a mine or a derived by-product created from coal-fired power plants. The largest consumption of gypsum is used commercially in drywall manufacturing which supplies drywall for the construction industry. Drywall installation across the nation has steadily increased due to population growth, which in turn has increased the volume of waste drywall that is generated at construction job sites. Millions of tons of waste drywall a year end up in a landfill and when mixed with organic materials in an air free environment creates a highly toxic gas called hydrogen sulfide. This highly toxic gas created in landfills has prompted state and local municipalities to begin placing bans on drywall disposal at landfills across the country.
Gypsum to Gypsum recognized the need to innovate a solution to this problem. Gypsum to Gypsum found that manufactured drywall can be reclaimed and processed into valuable gypsum products. We followed the Gypsum life cycle from cradle to grave and found an amazing opportunity to cultivate viable end markets. This has resulted, in just a few short years, a successful diversion of thousands of tons a year from the landfill. The Gypsum Cycle system created by Gypsum to Gypsum’s services is a closed and open loop recycling eco-system that provides a high grade recycled product which supplements mined or coal fired gypsum to the manufacturing and agricultural industries.If customers can’t find it, it doesn’t exist. Clearly list and describe the services you offer. Also, be sure to showcase a premium service.
Gypsum’s beginning life cycle starts at either a mine or a coal-fired power plant.
Mined Gypsum- Gypsum or also known as Calcium Sulfate (CaSO₄) is a mineral found in crystal or rock form. Gypsum is a soft mineral that is typically mined through common drilling practices or surface mining techniques. Gypsum rock forms within layers of sedimentary rock where the presence of surface water or lagoons may have been at one time. Gypsum deposits vary in volume and quality. Depending on these factors, mined gypsum can be distributed to a multiple markets including; Drywall Manufacturing, Agriculture, Cement Manufacturing, Plaster, and the food industry.
Coal-Fired Gypsum- Coal-Fired Gypsum is most commonly known as either Synthetic Gypsum or flue-gas-desulfurization (FGD) gypsum. It is a byproduct created by Coal-Fired power plants. Coal-Fired power plants are the leading cause of acid rain and when the Clean Air Act of 1970 was enacted coal-fired power plants were required to install scrubbing systems that would clean the air coming from the plant. A part of the cleaning process is to remove sulfur dioxide (SO2) from the power plant emissions. When this happens, a chemical reaction occurs that creates Calcium Sulfate (CaSO₄) when the material is oxidized with water. As Coal-Fired power plants across the country begin to close we expect this to be a finite resource for gypsum.
Drywall Manufacturing- The fabrication of drywall simply put; is the placing of crushed gypsum with added water to create a slurry. This slurry is then distributed between two pieces of paper and placed into a dryer. This drying process then hardens the gypsum to create a rigid panel that is then labeled depending on size and type. The finished panel is then ready to be shipped. Most commonly these panels are shipped directly to a distributor or to a construction job site for installation.
Drywall Installation- Drywall is one of the most used building materials in construction today. Drywall is needed to pass fire code in any new construction project and adds enhanced acoustics for the living space. On average 15% of all drywall that is installed is scrap or waste that is generated from necessary cuts needed to form windows, doors, and cabinetry. The drywall installation phase of the construction project happens at a very specific time when all other trades are typically out of the way. Therefore, drywall scrap collection can be so easily integrated into each project. The scrap drywall must be cleaned before the next phase of the project can begin. Gypsum to Gypsum seeks to find this exact moment to collect drywall from these projects by providing cleaning, collection, and recycling services to contractors.
Drywall Deconstruction- Deconstruction is common practice for new infrastructure or remodeling, whether its outfitting existing infrastructure or building new infrastructure removing existing drywall is a part of that process. For drywall to be properly recycled from deconstruction it needs to go through rigorous removal standards in order to be clean enough to not contaminate the end product. If the building was built before 1990 it is common practice to first perform an abatement survey to ensure no asbestos containing material arrives at the recycling facility. Once this is performed the deconstruction process must include removing nails, wood, and any other foreign materials. Gypsum to Gypsum takes precaution when accepting material from deconstruction projects to protect our end stream markets. Please contact our office before bringing any deconstruction drywall to any of our facilities.
Successful drywall collection and recycling happens at a very specific time on a project. It is common for other trades during this phase of the project to remove themselves while the drywall installer performs their portion of the project. After the drywall installer is finished cutting and hanging the drywall panels there is scrap cuttings that are considered non-useable that are available for collection. Based on our experience this can be an average of 15% the total panels used during installation. At this time of the project is when drywall can be successfully source separated and collected at the job site. We find this to be the most effective way to recycle drywall because when executed correctly, the drywall collect is the cleanest and rarely has other contaminants. Gypsum to Gypsum provides comprehensive cleaning, scraping, and recycling services during this phase of the project, allowing contractors to focus their labor efforts on installing more drywall.
Once the drywall is received at our facility it is processed to remove the paper backing from the gypsum board. What is left is a high grade gypsum material that can be used back into wallboard manufacturing or into agricultural applications.
Wallboard Manufacturers- Wallboard manufacturers across the country are modifying there existing operations to allow the use of recycled gypsum in there manufacturing process. When done correctly reclaimed or recycled gypsum is an excellent feed stock to supplement Synthetic or Raw gypsum during the manufacturing process.
Agricultural Application – Gypsum has been used in agricultural applications for hundred of years. Recycled gypsum typically is in a higher purity form and is more readily available for crops during irrigation. Gypsum to Gypsum has been strong customer channels to supply recycled gypsum to these markets.