Siniat takes part in the Gypsum to Gypsum program

By Batipole Edition Published on Sunday, June 23, 2013 at 02:00

Photo credits : SINIAT

The Gympsum to Gypsum (GtoG) project was launched in early 2013 by the Eurogypsum group of entrepreneurs and received financial support from the European Life+ program. It will end in 2016.

As promised, Siniat France is taking part in this program, along with other companies operating in the field of plasterboard manufacturing, as well as in demolition and industrial waste recycling. Two faculties, in Athens and Madrid, as well as a laboratory, are also involved in GtoG, conducting audits and marketing studies.

The aim of the Gypsum to Gypsum project is to work towards establishing circularity in the gypsum-based products sector, by prioritizing the recycling of waste from demolitions and their reintroduction (at 30%) into the manufacturing process of new boards.

This three-year program, bringing together European manufacturers and the entire industry around bold ecological objectives, is a first!

Why this program?

Plaster is not a harmful waste. However, as it is not inert, it must be stored in single-product cells. But this storage comes at a cost, and few structures implement it. However, at the same time, this material can be recycled endlessly, in the interests of economy but also to protect natural gypsum stocks. The latest regulatory developments applicable to the construction sector have set the objective, by 2020, of recycling 70% of waste. Thus, a well-conducted demolition can be the source of significant production of waste containing gypsum and therefore likely to be recycled for the production of new plasterboard.

How to successfully carry out GtoG?

Certain good practices are necessary for the success of this project:

Demolition, including in the renovation sector, must be carried out correctly and the appropriate products must be selected;

Waste must be sorted at source, and plaster must not be stored in mixed bins, in order to save money;

Very specific standards must apply to the treatment;

Innovative technological processes must guide reuse in production.

This program operates with a total budget exceeding 3,57 million euros.

Its timetable is as follows: 2013 should allow for the analysis of existing practices and the establishment of an inventory; four stages will follow: the measurement of the volumes concerned, the feasibility study applied to the industrial systems concerned, and the quantification of the performance indicators.

Article rewritten by Batipôle.