Gypsum recyclers unite to lobby Agency

Gypsum recyclers have joined together to form the first trade association for the sector, and are planning to lobby the Environment Agency with their concerns over the classification of recovered gypsum.

Gypsum Re-Processors Association UK and Ireland (GRAUKI) was formed by seven of the UK and Irelands largest gypsum recyclers late last year, and will lobby Defra and the Environment Agency on issues that are important to the sector.

Members of the group are New West Gypsum Recycling, Arrow Gypsum, Roy Hatfield Ltd, Countrystyle Group, 2G Environmental, Irish firm Baron Recycling Limited and 4 Recycling.

The groups chairman Bob Curd, who is also UK operations manager at New West Gypsum Recycling, told letsrecycle.com: The reason we formed is that as what we do is fairly specialised, as individual companies it is hard for us to engage with the regulators.

As individuals we are often communicating with the Environment Agency and they tell us to go to our local enforcement office, hopefully now we can take the issues that are important to our members higher, stimulate a debate and get a more usable set of regulations.

We have no issue with regulation at all, but there has to be some point where common sense comes into play.

Mr Curd said that GRAUKI would be lobbying in the coming months for all gypsum to be granted product status when it is recovered. Product status is currently restricted to anumber of permitted end uses for the material, even it meets the same quality standards as virgin gypsum.

Quality Protocol

He added that the problem was, in part, due to the fact that thecurrent quality protocol for recycled gypsum only allows for the material to be used in several specified end uses, including manufacture into new plasterboard, as a soil stabiliser or as a growing media.

But, he said that a common sense approach to classification would see the material, where recovered to the best environmental standards, classed as a product rather than a waste as it is currently, and allow it to be legitimately used in a number of additional applications, including as a component of animal bedding.

Guidance issued by the Environment Agency and Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) this year warned against the use of gypsum in animal bedding, as it is thought to present a risk to animal and human health.

However gypsum recyclers say that it presents no greater risk to health than animal bedding containing virgin gypsum.

Uses

Mr Curd said: Recycled gypsum is classed as waste so comes under different guidelines to virgin material, but it is chemically very similar and no more likely to create hydrogen sulphide. There is a vast tonnage of waste plasterboard that needs recycling kicking about and we are trying to provide a sustainable solution to it, but there are so many barriers being put up to prevent it.

The group will also be representing the interests of gypsum recyclers committed to sustainable and legitimate reprocessing in future and aims to act as a mark of quality assurance for end users of the material as members are required to comply with a code of practice in order to join.

GRAUKI members will meet monthly and will discuss broader issues affecting gypsum recyclers.