52 Reusing and recycling substances and materials has become a must over the past several years, to the extent that it now represents a sales argument among mass retail consumers. However, in the construction field, has the use of secondary materials (diverted from the dumpster) really reached its full potential? The example of gypsum, the construction industry’s uncontested champion, shows that the road is long, but that the sector is making great strides. GYPSUM RECYCLING on the right track Light, cheap, and modular, a thermal and acoustic insulator, and offering excellent fire protection, gypsum has established itself as a must-have in the construction industry all around the globe. In most European countries, as well as the United States, Canada, and a number of Asian countries, recycling streams have been put in place for gypsum-based products. AWORLDON THE MOVE Because the recycling chain requires the involvement of many players, establishing a partnership approach between construction professionals and collection and processing companies is essential (see infographic). In Norway, a partnership between Saint‑Gobain, the waste collection company RagnSells, and the reprocessing equipment provider GRI offers actors working on building sites a service that handles the recycling of their gypsum waste and plays a role among decision-makers (architects, social landlords, etc.). In other countries, we are seeing the introduction of regulations that promote the circular economy for gypsum. In England, Germany, and the Canadian province of British Columbia, it is forbidden to send gypsum-based waste to landfill. All around the world, the costs and constraints in this regard are increasing, which is encouraging a circular approach. In Italy, a decree stipulates a minimum recycled content for construction materials used in public projects: it is 5% for plasterboard. In France, since the Anti-Waste for a Circular Economy Law (Agec) in February 2020, the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for construction materials – a world first – economically supports recycling streams and sets ambitious recovery targets per stream. With this in mind, in 2022 Placo® launched the world’s first plasterboard made from 50% recycled plaster. SPoTLIGHT
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