USG Conf dent a - i i l

Circular Economy

for building

materials

Te Hua Lau

Director, Sustainability

USG
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 USG SUSTAINABILITY

USG Corporation is an industryleading manufacturer of building

products and innovative solutions

For more than 115 years, we have expanded

the boundaries of building science with

products and systems that are safer, lighter,

stronger and more sustainable.

Our products have been used to build some of

the world’s most iconic structures, such as the

Freedom Tower in New York, Burj Khalifa in

Dubai, and Lotte Tower in Seoul.

SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainable practices have been core to USG’s business and choices for more than 100 years. It’s how we build a

better world for our customers, employees and communities while caring for our business and the world around us.

USG is the only wallboard manufacturer to join in the Architecture 2030 Challenge for Products, where we

voluntarily work to lower our carbon footprint in sourcing, manufacturing and transportation by 2030. This is part of a

larger effort to design, build and operate carbon-neutral buildings by 2050.

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Our Second Century

In Sustainability

Life cycle assessment USG Rainier, OR plant USG Sustainability Tool

conducted for major started a jobsite reclaim released to help customers

product lines take back program with green building

1909 1929 1965 1970 1974 1987 1995 1998 2005 2008 2009 2010 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2022

USG develops Internal drywall waste is Fiberock® Panels First USG Sustainability

modern wallboard recycled back into the are made from 95% Goals announced

manufacturing manufacturing operations recycled materials

Co founded U.S. Patented wallboard Ceilings Recycling

gas from heavy oil

Moved to natural

Green Building Council® manufacturing water Program was launched

as primary fuel reduction additives

Sheetrock® USG Paper Mill USG Diversity and Partner in EPA s

Panels use 100% generates their Inclusion Strategy SmartWay®

recycled paper own electricity Council formed Transport Program

First user of synthetic USG Design Studio

tile using slag wool from

Development of ceiling

gypsum, a byproduct of LEED® Reporting

post industrial waste coal fired power plants Tool launched

USG paper mills

recycle nearly

100% of wastewater

USG SUSTAINABILITY

for wallboard documentation submission

Received UL USG

GREENGUARD Gold announces 2030

Certification for major Sustainability

product lines Goals

Participation in the

Architecture 2030

Challenge for Products

for 30 ceilings portfolio

Development of Health

Product Declarations®

(HPD) for ceiling and

wallboard products

USG publishes EPDs

(Environmental

Product Declarations)

for ceiling products

USG published USG publishes EPDs

Declare Labels for wallboard products

Released USG Commitment to SBTi

Sheetrock® Brand

EcoSmart Panels

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USG Conf dent a

Delivering

A Circular

Economy

USG SUSTAINABILITY

Along with climate change, waste

generation is of the most challenging

problems that humanity faces today and in

the future. USG is improving our recycling

practices in the communities where we

operate. We’ll continue to invest in

partnerships with companies that will help

us reach our targets.

● Become the recognized leader in construction

job site reclaim

for gypsum board and ceiling tile recycling

● Achieve zero manufacturing waste to landfill

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Urban recycling to build a circular economy in USA

10-11 million tons of dry

wall scrap estimated to

be co-mingled with C&D

debris and other waste

13 million tons/year

of gypsum dry wall

scrap is landfilled

annually

2-3 million tons is

estimated to be clean

job site construction

dry wall waste

Gypsum Mineral Commodity Summary, 2021, USGS

Construction and Demolition Debris Generation in the United States, US EPA, 2018, Table 6, p. 18 USG - Confidential
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

USG Conf dent a

How is dry

wall made?

The dehydration of natural gypsum or synthetic gypsum (specifically known as calcination) is between 120 to 150°C (250 to

300°F) and the heat energy delivered to the gypsum (the heat of hydration) goes into driving off water and not into increasing the

temperature of the mineral as shown below:

CaSO4·2H2O + heat → CaSO4·1⁄2H2O + 11⁄2H2O (steam)

The partially dehydrated mineral is called calcium sulfate hemihydrate or calcined gypsum (though more commonly known as plaster

of Paris) and has the chemical formula CaSO4·1⁄2H2O. (Exterior plaster or Stucco).

Calcined gypsum has an unusual property: when mixed with water at normal (ambient) temperatures, it recombines with the water

that was driven off during calcination, and sets to form a strong gypsum crystal lattice: (e.g. at mixer followed by kiln)

CaSO4·1⁄2H2O + 11⁄2H2O → CaSO4·2H2O

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Extract gypsum from clean construction dry wall scrap

Ground gypsum from clean job site construction dry wall Clean job site construction dry wall

gypsum waste gypsum waste

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Building a circular economy for gypsum contractor waste

Challenges:

Ability to implement construction job site

separation of dry wall scrap from other

construction debris.

(https://vimeo.com/135889925/cbb111116b )

Requirements of construction job site

haulers:

o Dry wall that has NOT been previously

installed (i.e., no demolition scraps)

o Scraps have no paint on them

o Scraps have no nails or screws

o No metal trims

o No garbage

Above: Closed Loop Wallboard – Collaborative — Building Product Ecosystems LLC

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Additional challenges to building a circular economy

Litigation risk from potential contamination.

Material product safety concerns:

• Exposure during service life (e.g. lead paint.)

• Unknown source (e.g. “Chinese drywall.”)

• Asbestos contamination.

• Additives that are carried over into post-consumer recycled (PCR) dry wall waste

Consistent supply:

• PCR dry wall waste collection and processing continues to be erratic and varies according to

job site

Separation of paper from gypsum

• Even with paper “removed” a significant amount% of paper is carried with the gypsum, which

is mechanically and chemically bonded to gypsum slurry during manufacturing.

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Summary to building a circular economy

Can these obstacles be overcome?

Yes, but not easily or quickly.

What will it take?

Significant investment in R&D, potential process adjustments, material handling and

feeding adjustments, etc.

USG - Confidential