Plasterboard Disposal – Waste Management

Plasterboard Disposal

One of the questions we regularly get asked here at FindaSkip is how to dispose of plasterboard and whether it can be put in a skip.

Plasterboard is made from two outer layers of lining paper and an inner layer of gypsum. Gypsum is a soft mineral made of calcium sulphate dihydrate.

Plasterboard is often used in construction when building walls and ceilings. It is used because Gypsum is fire protective, is non combustible and can delay a fire from spreading for up to 4 hours.

It can also be used to sound proof rooms, and can contribute to temperature regulating when mixed when insulating materials.

Plasterboard is classed as a non-hazardous, non-inert waste.  It can be recycled but is often sent to landfill. If you don’t have a recycling plant near you it plasterboard disposal can be difficult and expensive.

It is often very expensive to send plasterboard to landfill because plasterboard contain sulphates, which produce hydrogen sulphide gas when it is buried which is flammable and poisonous.

You can take plasterboard to recycling plants where it is made into gypsum powder and delivered to plasterboard factories where it can be made into new boards.

If you are thinking of hiring a skip to remove your plasterboard you should consider how much you have and which companies will be happy to take it.

Some skip companies will not take any plasterboard in their skips, others will limit the amount that can go in the skip (e.g. 10% of the skip’s content), some will only take plasterboard if it is bagged and kept separate from the rest of the waste, while others are happy to take plasterboard.

It is dependent on the company to whether they will deal with plasterboard disposal or not.  It is always best to check before hand if you think you will be disposing of plasterboard in your skip to prevent any fines or having to collect the plasterboard once the skip has been taken away.

Give FindaSkip a call to find out more information about plasterboard disposal and for a competitive quote for skip hire.