The professional recyclers are capable of handling gypsum waste with nails and screws, wall coverings etc.
Sulfate-reducing bacteria convert sulfates to toxic hydrogen sulphide gas; they are killed by exposure to air, but the moist, airless, carbon-containing environment in a landfill is a good habitat for them.
So gypsum put into landfill will decompose, releasing up to a quarter of its weight in hydrogen sulfide.
[citation needed] Recycling one metric ton of gypsum will save 28 kwh of energy and 4 pounds of aluminium.
[1] One of the drivers for the project[1] is the target set by the European Union to achieve that 70 per cent of construction and demolition waste is recycled by 2020.
This recovered gypsum is then distributed to agricultural and industrial customers in the region keeping the wallboard from ending up in the landfill.
Gypsum Agri-cycle is another North American recycler of new construction drywall located in Pennsylvania.
His vision for the company is to transform the Northwest drywall waste stream into a valuable product for agriculture and industry.