Cawarden has taken part in a circular plasterboard case study in partnership with Loughborough University, ENVA and British Gypsum.

Cawarden has recently completed the demolition and site clearance works at Loughborough University’s Sir Arnold Hall Building. As part of the pre-demolition works, all plasterboard removed during the internal strip out was sent to ENVA to be treated using a novel purification to produce high-purity gypsum (> 96%) – something that is not currently possible from refurbishment and demolition plasterboard waste recycling. By producing high-purity gypsum, new circular plasterboards with 35% recycled content will be manufactured.

The initiative is all part of an EU Horizon 2020 project, ICEBERG, which aims to improve the economic viability and market potential of end-of-life building materials. It provides designers, manufacturers, builders, and recyclers with advanced smart and technological CE solutions leading to more efficient, competitive processes, higher traceability, market acceptance, and higher levels of material circularity.

Gypsum is the main constituent of plasterboards used in building applications. Although gypsum can be recycled indefinitely, the amount of recycled gypsum from refurbishment and demolition plasterboard waste that can be incorporated into new plasterboards is limited. The presence of impurities introduced by additives, lining paper and paint limits the amount that can be recycled.

Through the ICEBERG project, a novel purification treatment based on acid leaching has been developed by Loughborough University in collaboration with ENVA. This allows for an increase in the recycled content of new plasterboards from the current 10%, which uses only recycled gypsum from “clean” construction plasterboard offcuts, to 35%, using the ICEBERG purified gypsum.

From the plasterboard recovered and recycled by ENVA from the Sir Arnold Hall Building, new circular plasterboards containing the ICEBERG purified gypsum will be manufactured by British Gypsum. The new plasterboards will then be installed in a new development on the Loughborough University campus and will undergo assessment and performance testing as part of the case study.

Cawarden has taken part in a circular plasterboard case study in partnership with Loughborough University, ENVA and British Gypsum.

Cawarden has recently completed the demolition and site clearance works at Loughborough University’s Sir Arnold Hall Building. As part of the pre-demolition works, all plasterboard removed during the internal strip out was sent to ENVA to be treated using a novel purification to produce high-purity gypsum (> 96%) – something that is not currently possible from refurbishment and demolition plasterboard waste recycling. By producing high-purity gypsum, new circular plasterboards with 35% recycled content will be manufactured.

The initiative is all part of an EU Horizon 2020 project, ICEBERG, which aims to improve the economic viability and market potential of end-of-life building materials. It provides designers, manufacturers, builders, and recyclers with advanced smart and technological CE solutions leading to more efficient, competitive processes, higher traceability, market acceptance, and higher levels of material circularity.

Gypsum is the main constituent of plasterboards used in building applications. Although gypsum can be recycled indefinitely, the amount of recycled gypsum from refurbishment and demolition plasterboard waste that can be incorporated into new plasterboards is limited. The presence of impurities introduced by additives, lining paper and paint limits the amount that can be recycled.

Through the ICEBERG project, a novel purification treatment based on acid leaching has been developed by Loughborough University in collaboration with ENVA. This allows for an increase in the recycled content of new plasterboards from the current 10%, which uses only recycled gypsum from “clean” construction plasterboard offcuts, to 35%, using the ICEBERG purified gypsum.

From the plasterboard recovered and recycled by ENVA from the Sir Arnold Hall Building, new circular plasterboards containing the ICEBERG purified gypsum will be manufactured by British Gypsum. The new plasterboards will then be installed in a new development on the Loughborough University campus and will undergo assessment and performance testing as part of the case study.