Steve Hemmings describes how Siniat follow a Circular Economy approach in the manufacture of their plasterboard.

1. The Circular Economy:
Plasterboard Case Study
Steve Hemmings
Head of EHS & Sustainability, Siniat Ltd
November 2015

2. 2
About Siniat:
Who we are
• Leading UK manufacturer of plasterboard and
supplier of drywall systems
– 430 employees
– £150 million turnover
• Our main raw material is gypsum*
– 95% of board composition: strategic importance
map
* Calcium sulphate di-hydrate, CaSO4 . 2H2O
Production Plant
Depot

3. 3
Gypsum:
Perfect material for the Circular Economy
Raw material
(gypsum)
• Finished product is same chemical
substance as the starting raw material
• Material can therefore be recycled many
times without loss of quality
• Recycling of construction site waste is
already widely practised
Plasterboard
(gypsum)
Hydrate
Remove Paper
Heat
Plaster

4. 4
Gypsum:
2 Main Sources
• Left: Natural Gypsum imported by sea to
Bristol (approx 65%)
• Below: By-product Gypsum from
neighbouring power station to
Ferrybridge (approx 35%)

5. 5
Outlook for
By-product Gypsum
EU Carbon plan means coal-fired electricity generation will decline in Europe;
By-product gypsum availability after 2020 will be significantly reduced
Circular Economy solution: to avoid a return to mining virgin material, harvest
the gypsum resource already in the built environment
Challenge: progressively replace by-product gypsum with material from the
deconstruction of buildings
Forecast Gypsum Production (Mt/year)

6. Introducing the Project:
“Gypsum to Gypsum” (G2G)
• 1 of 16 supply-chain
partners in 7 countries
• €3.5 million budget
• Project Objectives
– 1. Design for
deconstruction
– 2. Material segregation
at end of life
– 3. Boosting recyclate
levels to 30% in new
products
To meet this challenge Siniat joined an EU LIFE funded R&D Project (2013 -2015)

7. G2G Project Results
November 2015
Project results presented in Brussels 17 November
– 5 pilot deconstruction recycling trials in 4
countries
– Average Site Cost savings (deconstruction with
segregation/ recycling versus demolition and
landfilling mixed waste) were 10%
– Recyclate inclusion rates of 18-30% achieved
– Cost, Energy and Carbon neutral for production
– Life cycle carbon savings of 9% versus business
as usual (cradle to cradle)
The UK pilot trial included gypsum materials harvested in the 2015 EU Green Capital….

8. G2G Project Results
The Circular Economy in Bristol
Material from St Lawrence House (Nelson St) refurbishment was recycled into
new plasterboard product used in its conversion to student accommodation
The objective of a circular economy is to preserve and maintain the value of products and
materials in the economy for as long as possible, while reducing the excessive consumption of
primary resources as well as minimising the generation of non-recyclable waste
European Commission Circular Economy Action Plan, 2 December 2015