Download the evidence study of Plasterboard: Sustainability Impacts and Initiatives
BRE - Environmental Profile
LCA study, results used to inform the Green Guide to Specification 2008 www.thegreenguide.org.uk
WRAP - LCA study
LCA study, results used to inform this report
Ecobilan (France)
Life cycle inventories
Ecoinvent (Netherlands)
Life cycle inventories
PRODCOM PRA26620
Government collated statistics on UK markets
DCLG - The Code for Sustainable Homes
The Building Regulations Approved Document B
Fire resistance
The Building Regulations Approved Document E resistance to the passage of sound
Approved Document E of the Building Regulations (England and Wales) dealing with resistance to the passage of sound came into effect in July 2003 and introduced higher requirements for acoustic performance for residential building.
The Building Regulations Approved Document L
Conservation of fuel and power
Defra - Waste Strategy for England 2007
Download PDF The Government published Waste Strategy for England 2007 on 24 May 2007. This sets out their vision for sustainable waste management. Annex C3 relates to construction, demolition and excavation waste.
DBERR & industry – Sustainable construction strategy
Defra - Site Waste Management Plans for the Construction Industry
Regulations and guidance on site waste management plans – mandatory for developments costing more than £300,000 from April 2008.
Defra Consultation on the Draft Soil Strategy for England Draft strategy and consultation responses available
Go to Defra website The First Soil Action Plan for England (2004-2006) provided a good foundation but there is still much to be done to improve the management of soils to deliver a wide range of benefits to society and to improve the measures we use to achieve this. A draft Soil Strategy for England has closed for public consultation, will eventually succeed the First Soil Action Plan for England. The draft Strategy sets out the pressures on soils and the priority work areas identified on the basis of these pressures. It explains current policy measures which are in place to achieve sustainable soil management and then sets out in broad terms what it is hoped will be achieved, along with some initial steps to be undertaken in the next few years.
EA/WRAP - Quality Protocol for production and use of waste gypsum from plasterboardDraft strategy and consultation responses available
Link to Environment Agency page on waste The Quality Protocol sets out criteria for the production and use of products derived from gypsum arising from the processing of waste plasterboard. If these criteria are met, gypsum from waste plasterboard will normally be regarded as having been fully recovered and have ceased to be waste when it has been dispatched to the customer. Applies to the use of gypsum from waste plasterboard in the following market applications:
- as a raw material for use in the manufacture of new gypsum-based products, e.g. plasterboard and coving products;
- as a soil treatment agent for agricultural benefit;
- as an additive in cement clinker.
EA – position statement on landfilling of gypsum waste including plasterboard Mandatory from 1st April 2009
In January 2009, the EA revised their guidance to remove the 10% (gypsum/plasterboard mixed with other wastes) guideline value, to encourage the reuse and recycling of more gypsum and other high sulphate bearing waste while reducing the potential production of hydrogen sulphide gas at a landfill.
This position applies to loads of waste containing identifiable gypsum-based materials (e.g. plasterboard). This material must not be landfilled with biodegradable waste. Producers of gypsum waste should separate it for recovery and recycling wherever possible. Where a load of gypsum is sent to landfill it must be deposited in a separate cell with waste that does not have a biodegradable content that exceeds specified limits.
REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances)
Once fully recovered or recycled, substances cease to be waste and waste management controls no longer apply. REACH may potentially apply instead at that point. Recovery businesses are considered to be manufacturers under REACH, so may have registration obligations, unless certain exemptions apply. Further information on this and other processes relating to REACH is available from the website (www.hse.gov.uk/reach) of the UK REACH Competent Authority.
Climate Change Agreement & levies
Improve manufacturing energy efficiency. Climate Change Agreements (CCAs) allow eligible energy intensive business users to receive up to an 80 per cent discount from the Climate Change Levy (CCL) in return for meeting energy efficiency or carbon saving targets. Covers Manufacture of gypsum products using Part A combustion plant. Sector targets were established with periodic review dates.
Waste management & environmental regulations
Respect for people
Health & Safety Task Force
DCLG - Minerals planning
EU Directive 2006/21/EC on the Management of Waste from the Extractive Industries
(The ‘Mining Waste Directive’)
CEN EPD (Environmental products Declarations)
Sustainability of construction works
CEN
Landfill Directive
Waste framework Directive
19 November 2008 (2008/98/EC) The new Directive must be transposed into national law by 12 December 2010
Recently revised, sets out the framework for the definition and management of waste across the EU. The waste hierarchy states that prevention comes first, then preparing for re-use, then recycling, then other recovery (e.g. energy recovery), and then disposal. The Directive supports extended producer responsibility as one of the means to support the design and production of goods which take into full account the efficient use of resources during their entire life-cycle, including re-use and recycling. Article 11 contains a specific obligation for the construction sector.
- By 2020, Member States must make national action plans for the re-use, recycling and other material recovery of non-hazardous construction and demolition waste and this re-use and recovery must increase to a minimum of 70% by weight.
- By 2014, the Commission can propose to sharpen these targets
- The national plans to be established by 2020 have to be updated to technical progress every 5 years
Article 29 obliges Member States to drawn up waste prevention programmes by 2013. These waste prevention programmes should also be waste stream specific.
Integrated PPC (Part A (1) activities regulated by environmental permitting 2007)
Where applicable, there may be IPPC requirements for energy, raw materials and water usage, avoidance of waste, and emissions to air, water and land, and monitoring all the above. Download PDF
ISO and EN standards
Standards for construction product performance, CE marking etc.
EUETS
The EU Emissions Trading Scheme is one of the policies introduced across the European Union (EU) to help it meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction target under the Kyoto Protocol. The scheme operates by the allocation and trading of greenhouse gas emissions allowances throughout the EU - one allowance represents one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent. Each year, operators are required to ensure they have enough allowances to cover their installation's emissions. They have the flexibility to buy additional allowances (on top of their free allocation), or to sell any surplus allowances generated from reducing their emissions. Regulated by the Environment Agency in the UK.
Industry sustainability commitment
GPDA sustainability strategy
Follows Eurogypsum strategy
Eurogypsum Specification for Recovered Gypsum
Ashdown Agreement
An industry commitment together with WRAP, MTP and Defra aimed at resource efficiency, increase recycling and waste reduction and waste reduction to landfill.
The Contractors and Developers Voluntary Agreement for the Reduction of Plasterboard Waste
Follow on from the Ashdown agreement – contractor equivalent agreement to reduce waste and increase recycling. Launched July 2008 www.crwplatform.co.uk
Plasterboard Partnership
To facilitate a strong pan-industry overview and consultation route, representatives from across the plasterboard supply chain have been invited to form a plasterboard partnership. The inaugural meeting of this group will be on the 25th February 2009. The website is currently under construction:
www.plasterboardpartnership.org
This site will be used to provide a central reference source for those working in the plasterboard supply chain and those seeking to provide support or guidance in the area of plasterboard and sustainability.
BSI standards committee STS1/6 Draft for consultation due Spring 2009, with standard planned for early 2010
Developing standard relating to responsible sourcing. It is proposed that the work will initially focus on the responsible sourcing of construction products, but is expected to grow into other sectors.
Construction Products Association waste working group
Chaired by St Gobain/ Jewsons, current focus on packaging waste issues
Strategic Forum for construction
Have recently set up waste task group, Chair provided by UK contractors group, secretariat provided by CRWP
Raw Material Extraction Study (Eurogypsum)
Managing the use of natural resources in a sustainable way
Study of high sulphate mineral waters
Study of sulphate concentrations in groundwater
BRGM (France)
Study of sulphate concentrations in groundwater
Quality of air study
Promote the use of FGD to fossil fuel plants to protect quality of air
Water institute study of gypsum in water
Study of sulphate concentrations in groundwater
Roskill economic study
Economics of gypsum and anhydrite extraction
Vauhours-Caubron study (France)
Ten year study of restoration of open-pit quarry
TierWelt in Gipssteinbruchen (Germany)
Study of bio-diversity in 15 gypsum quarries
Sulphate Bearing Waste: Determination of a Concentration Limit for Separate Disposal
Research used to justify the revised Environment Agency position statement on the landfilling of gypsum waste including plasterboard. It will confirm that the relationship between sulphate in waste and the production of hydrogen sulphide gas is complex, but will conclude that the EA cannot set a practicable limit for gypsum wastes.
All published documents available from www.mtprog.com
MTP briefing note
Evidence base for MTP developing resource efficiency and waste agendas – could not locate this online
Innovation briefing note
Briefing notes X3
Directly linked to plasterboard resource efficiency. All published documents downloadable from www.wrap.org.uk
Plasterboard Capital Support Funding
Provides financial assistance towards the costs of plant, equipment and infrastructure for projects in the UK which will increase the quantity of plasterboard that is recovered and recycled from the construction and demolition sector in the UK.
Material flows and barriers to greater use of recycled plasterboard
Background information and opportunities and barriers to recycling.
Waste plasterboard market scoping study
Scoping study evaluating markets for recycled gypsum, and ability for recycling sector to supply these markets.
Evaluation of plasterboard waste arising from the demolition sector
Scoping study drawing together data and estimating plasterboard waste arising from this source.
Recycling plasterboard waste from refurbishment sites
Viability of alternative recovery/recycling options from refurbishment sites.
Capture of plasterboard waste on construction sites
Evaluation of cost effective methods of plasterboard collection from construction sites.
Capture of plasterboard waste on construction & demolition sites
Evaluation of plasterboard collection from different types of C&D sites.
Plasterboard collection trials at household waste recycling centres
Viability of waste plasterboard collection from this source.
Plasterboard waste take-back using distributor reverse logistics
Trials to evaluate alternative waste haulage model.
Publicly Available Specification for recycled gypsum
Defines a product specifications and quality management requirements for the processing of waste plasterboard. PAS 109:2008.
WRAP - Plasterboard case studies
Highlights segregation, collection and recycling of waste plasterboard and its use in a range of applications.
WRAP
Indirectly linked to plasterboard e.g. part of construction and demolition wastestream:
- Achieving good practice waste minimisation and management
- SWMP templates
- Step-by-step guide to regeneration
- Reducing material wastage in construction
- Efficient construction logistics
- Material Logistics Plans
- Current practices and future potential in modern methods of construction
- Offsite Case Studies
- Demolition case studies
- Waste recovery Quick Wins, requirements and clauses
- Waste minimisation and management case studies
- Net Waste Method
- Recycled Content Toolkit
- Procurement Guidance
- Procurement case studies
- Rule of Thumb
Published documents available from www.bre.co.uk or as specified
Smartwaste system and benchmarking website
Site waste management planning and waste monitoring tool used by over 2600 companies. Plasterboard contractor bespoke version to provide monitoring for the contractor’s agreement under development. Benchmarks for plasterboard waste have also been produced for all main construction sectors – residential, commercial office, leisure, public buildings, education etc.
BREMAP
A geographical information system with all licensed disposal and recycling sites, including plasterboard related.
Green guide to specification
Updated in 2008, the Green Guide gives relative performances of various building elements and looks at a range of materials or products used in a number of elements (such as walls, floors, and roofs), assessing their overall impact, over a 60 year study period, in EcoPoints (weighted sum of 13 environmental impact criteria).
BRE responsible sourcing standard
Be Aware
Part government, part industry funded project to develop a method of optimising resource use across the life cycle of any given construction product. Plasterboard not assessed yet but is an aspect of certain sector guidance documents – modern methods of construction.
Construction Resources and Waste Platform (CRWP)
All published documents available from www.crwplatform.co.uk
NISP Case study Gypsum Recycling
Case study focussing on Roy Hatfield Ltd, who have been recycling wastes for over 35 years including plasterboard.
NISP East of England Study into the current markets for Gypsum
Could not locate this document online
NISP case study: IBC exchange saves money and diverts waste from landfill
Involved packaging waste from Lafarge Plasterboard.
Oakdene Hollins - Diverting plasterboard waste from landfill in the UK
Identification of sources of Plasterboard waste & disposal options.
Kier – Green Apple Award 2007: Plasterboard or Plasterbarred?
Kier won this award for an initiative to reduce wastage rates and improve recycling rates of plasterboard used in the construction of the new Garrett Anderson Diagnostic Treatment Centre, Ipswich Hospital, Suffolk.
CIRIA – Construction and demolition waste guidance
- Demonstrating waste minimisation benefits in construction (C536)
- Principles of design for deconstruction to facilitate reuse and recycling
- Waste minimisation in construction - site guide
SEDA - Design and detailing for deconstruction
Waste Aware Construction - National site waste colour coding scheme
National colour coding scheme for segregated waste skips on C&D sites - includes signage for plasterboard waste.
Existing Homes Alliance
Zero Carbon Homes
To download a spreadsheet showing all reports, policy and initiatives related to plasterboard sustainability (in .xls format), please click on the button above