Can we reuse plasterboards?

Abstract

Gypsum turns plaster when it is dehydrated, and it returns to gypsum when it is hydrated. Because of this, gypsum is 100 % recyclable in theory. However, in reality, only 4% (in mass) of the plasterboard is from recycled plasterboard. This is because of the substances, other than fresh gypsum from quarries, to make plasterboard, and the current demolition methods that cause material contamination. The current practice of manufacturing, construction, and deconstruction of plasterboard necessitates significant resource extraction and carbon emissions, and the situation is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. Reusing, instead of recycling, construction material is effective in reducing resource extraction and carbon emissions, however, it has not been investigated at all for plasterboard. Thus, this paper explores the potential and feasibility of reusing plasterboard used for exterior infill walls, which is made of plasterboards and an increasingly used façade construction method in the UK.