PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
European Union waste legislation aims to promote the recycling of waste gypsum. At present, small amounts of waste gypsum are treated, with other construction and demolition waste in plants that produce material for road construction. However, the solubility of gypsum limits its reuse in this sector. In total, some 80 million tonnes/yr of gypsum boards are produced globally (of which some 700 000 tonnes/yr are manufactured in Italy). Since most of the waste plasterboard goes to landfill, this means the industry generates some 15 million tonnes/yr of waste (400 000 tonnes/yr in Italy). This waste is a resource that can generate new secondary raw materials for use in the cement industry, replacing a considerable amount of raw gypsum extracted from quarries.
OBJECTIVES
The Gy.Eco project aims to develop a system for managing and processing waste plasterboard and plaster from construction activities. This process could allow the recovery of gypsum for reuse as an additive in cement production. The specific objectives of the project are:
- To reduce the amount of waste gypsum disposed of in landfill;
- To reduce the potential for the illegal disposal of gypsum waste by offering, for the first time, a national recycling service;
- To define criteria for the development of new recycling markets and the promotion of waste recycling in the construction sector;
- To reduce the extraction of natural gypsum;
- To produce a secondary raw material with a low environmental impact and to identify a certification procedure;
- To promote a more sustainable management of mechanical treatment and disposal facilities through the transfer of materials recovery technologies from other sectors; and
- To reduce the potential recovery of gypsum waste in non tested activities and/or the production of non certified secondary materials.
Expected results:
- The Gy.Eco project expects to develop a recovery process and a management system capable of treating 15 000 tonnes/yr of waste plasterboard in three pilot-plants, and recovering some 14 500 tonnes/yr of gypsum for reuse. These volumes are relatively small compared with the volumes of waste disposed of annually, but they are interesting because they represent an important proportional reduction in disposal in landfill and the results may facilitate a more wide-scale application;
- Another expected result is the involvement in the project of the leading producers of plasterboard waste; and
- The aim will be to collect the waste generated by at least 70% of the beneficiary's customers located within 300 km of the pilot plants.
