Life cycle energy and material flow implications of gypsum plasterboard recycling in the European Union

Turning waste into a resource is a way to increase resource use efficiency and close the material loop of a circular economy. Gypsum plasterboard is well suited for this, because the raw material calcium sulphate dihydrate (CaSO4·2H2O) can repeatedly change its properties through a reversible hydration reaction. The waste hierarchy is applied when plasterboard is recycled instead of landfilled, which contributes to the European 2020 target of...