Granular gypsum: Drywall turned dirt amendment
Construction and demolition debris remains one of the largest streams of waste entering our landfills and drywall makes up between 5 and 15 percent of that flow. I hate the idea of perfectly usable materials ending up at a dump because no one could figure out a second life for them, so I was pleased to find out that USA Gypsum take scraps of drywall (much from new construction) and turns it into a soil amendments and conditioners.
At their Pennsylvania plants, drywall is crushed, screened and seperated into new useful parts. Shredded paper is sold as animal bedding and broken up gypsum is turned into an amendment that loosens up soil, provides calcium and sulfur to nutrient-deprived plants, and counteracts salt damage, fertilizer burn and other such impairments. Plus, the 40- to 50-lb bags cost less than similar products made with newly mined gypsum. You can buy a 40-lb bag of their granular gypsum for $4.95 and a 50-lb bag of their pulverized gypsum for $3.95.
Posted by Natalie Rodriguez | Categories: Green Home, Storage, Yard & Garden | Permalink
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