Gypsum Recycling Committee Corner

As is the case with many of our recent committee meetings, an impressive number of new member representatives decided to join us for the committee meeting on May 14th. Those of us on the east coast welcomed members from as far away as Hawaii this time! But what is consistent about our meetings is that we again had an amazing discussion on the gypsum market, with an emphasis on recovery and reuse, and the crucial role recyclers can play that benefits us all.

Chair Terry Weaver opened the meeting and welcomed our new Vice Chair, Michael McCamley of New West Gypsum. He is new to this role but not to the committee! Terry then continued with a review of the current projects, including the effort to encourage true recycling rates in reporting, a potential greenhouse gas calculator connected with the current Lifecycle Analysis (LCA) project, a library of gypsum-themed content for the new CDRA website, a deeper dive into markets for paper facing and a potential refresh of the Best Management Practices document. Terry and Michael also updated the group on recent advances in closed loop recycling of wallboard from several companies in the UK and France.

Next, the continuing work on the new Lifecycle Analysis was explored and the most recent edits were reviewed. He noted the work of the task force that came together to consider the pro’s and con’s of specific language, the overall consensus of the group on a variety of issues important to recyclers and others, and our ongoing transportation concerns. The committee decided to move the LCA work to a third-party review. More information on this step will be shared in future updates. An Executive Summary is also expected to be produced in the future and available to the general public.

As the group considers moving to Phase III of the LCA project, Terry stressed that it is not too late for companies to get involved and sponsor this work. The financial support may be more important now than ever, as government grants will likely not be available in the near term. Those interested should reach out to Terry or Executive Director Terri Ward. A significant portion of the work would be devoted to a calculator. The group discussed potential users, data sources, and considerations for developing such a calculator, including the need for ongoing maintenance and updates. Committee members expressed interest in pursuing the project but emphasized the importance of thorough vetting to ensure long-term accuracy. The discussion concluded with suggestions to research similar tools in other industries and regions for guidance before moving forward with work of our own. We hope you will join us for our next meeting on July 9th!