Important Legislative Changes: This Will Affect You

Legislation regarding plasterboard disposal is again changing, and in the Environmental Agency’s Position Statement they have confirmed that new legislation means gypsum-based materials must not be landfilled with biodegradable waste. Where 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.

Sulphates in gypsum can break down in a landfill to produce toxic and odorous hydrogen sulphide gas. The landfilling of gypsum and other high sulphate-bearing wastes with biodegradable waste has been prohibited in England and Wales since July 2005. However, they have been taking a pragmatic view that separate disposal of these substances is not necessary where a waste contains less than 10 per cent of gypsum or other high sulphate bearing waste. This was a working guideline that they always planned to review in response to scientific research.

The relationship between sulphate in waste and the production of hydrogen sulphide gas is complex, but there is no minimum quantity of gypsum below which no hydrogen sulphide gas will be produced in a landfill. They have therefore revised their guidance to remove the 10 per cent guideline value.

How to deal with waste gypsum

• All waste must be treated before it is sent to landfill.
• Loads containing any identifiable gypsum should not be taken to landfill but should be treated to remove the gypsum.
• Where a load of gypsum must go to landfill, it must be deposited in a separate cell where no biodegradable waste has been accepted.
• The simplest method of treating gypsum is to separate it from other waste at the point of production.
• It could also be sent it to a contractor to sort it at a waste transfer facility.
• Separated gypsum can be recycled or reused, for example in the manufacture of plasterboard or for agricultural soil treatment.