Approximately 3 million tonnes of plasterboard are used in construction in the UK each year. It is estimated that some 300,000 tonnes of waste plasterboard is generated each year from new construction activity, most of this being off cuts.

A secondary source of waste plasterboard is from the demolition and refurbishment projects that could add a further 500,000 – 1,000,000 tonnes per year.

Most of the UK’s waste plasterboard has traditionally been landfilled as a non hazardous inert waste co-disposed with other wastes.

However, from July 2005 the EU Landfill Directive requires that high sulphate wastes like plasterboard are eventually segregated from other wastes and landfilled separately in engineered cells. Guidance on the disposal of plasterboard waste and on the concentration limits can be obtained from the Environment Agency website.

Both the Environment Agency and landfill operators are placing restrictions on the amount of plasterboard that can be taken to landfill. In the Northwest the limit is now 5% (by weight) of a mixed waste load with the overall goal of seeing high sulphate bearing wastes diverted completely from landfill as the recycling infrastructure improves. It is inevitable that plasterboard will not be allowed into a landfill site as it is a major contributor to high sulphide concentrations in the landfill mass.

JWS have a recycling option in place and can reprocess all makes and types of plasterboard off cut with the exception of foam and vinyl backed board.We can provide a fully audited Recycling Certificate proving the waste plasterboard is reused in plasterboard manufacture.

We are actively working with our construction customers to promote separate collections of plasterboard and can offer a selection of containers to compliment the construction project.