2019 Recycling and Waste Management Awards

2019 Recycling and Waste Management Awards BUILD 17 Nov19195 o best understand the importance of Crucible Gypsum Recycling’s work, you need to understand that the construction industry faces a significant problem. After all, something like a third of all landfill materials originate from the construction industry. Indeed, in a world where environmental protection initiatives and consumer demand for alternatives has reached a fever pitch, the construction industry remains, in many ways, one step behind. Of course, this isn’t due to a distinct lack of resources or effort but rather an omnipresent issue – waste in the construction industry seems inevitable. Think, for a moment, about demolition. Not everything recovered from a site can be reused or recycled, even if it is in a state that lends itself it to be recycled. Moreover, most recyclable materials degrade. What was once reusable might find itself, after several cycles, unfit for purpose and destined for a landfill. Yet, plasterboard is ubiquitous in construction. Used in most standard builds thanks to its ease and speed of installation, it is an industry stalwart. Better yet, gypsum – the main raw material used to manufacture plasterboards – is infinitely recyclable as long as it isn’t contaminated. Here, then, we have a possible solution. The first, crucial steps in changing an industry for the better. Enter Crucible Gypsum Recycling. Established in August 2017 by leading materials manufacturer Etex Building Performance to drive a move towards gypsum retrieval from construction sites, Crucible has since grown on the back of its initial success. “Crucible’s creation marks the first time that a major UK plasterboard producer has established its own direct recycling business.” - Richard Buxton, Managing Director From the very beginning, Crucible has actively reduced Etex’s environmental footprint by reducing the need for further gypsum extraction from the ground and allowing Etex to use recycled gypsum to produce new plasterboards. All in all, it seems like one of those most rare of circumstances - a win-win scenario that T seeks to establish a precedence to improve best practices in an industry which sorely needs the guidance. For Etex, Crucible’s work delivers another benefit, namely, quality control. By controlling the gypsum supply Etex can ensure that its products are consistently making the grade and are suitable for purpose. It’s also important to note that Crucible represents a continuation for Etex, following its notable support of the Gypsum to Gypsum initiative, an EU-backed project that was designed to transform the way contractors recycled gypsum. Etex, through Crucible, has merely solidified and reinforced its long-term status as an innovator in the sustainable sphere. But, in many ways, Crucible stands by itself, both as a force for sustainability in construction and as a business in its own right. Using its processing facility in Worcester as a base of operations, Crucible has recently grown to collect waste material from across England and Wales, with site waste collection services being implemented from April this year. This is an area the company hopes to capitalise on in the coming years as it develops its own fleet of trucks. All in all, Crucible is an exemplar of an innovative idea done right and given form. Born from a sustainable mindset, its mere existence helps drive the construction industry to better standards. In this, it is a pioneer towards an altogether greener future. Address: Worcester, United Kingdom Website: http://cruciblegypsum.com/ Telephone: +44 (0)1905 356 154 Crucible Gypsum Recycling Limited Best Plasterboard Waste Recycling Specialists – UK The construction industry has long sought to become more sustainable . Despite strong movements in the direction of truly ‘green’ and sustainable building trends, there’s a sense of inevitability regarding waste production in the industry. But, one company is making significant headway on developing a ‘closed-loop’ model that utilises the endlessly recyclable material, gypsum. We profiled Crucible Gypsum Recycling Limited to find out more.