Ecologically Sustainable Development

 

 

Introduction

Good Environmental Choice Australia state that around 30% by weight of resources disposed of in landfills is construction and demolition waste.  And, further, that a large proportion of this waste is gypsum plasterboard.  USG Powerscape Fiberock interior linings can deliver superior ecological, energy, and safety outcomes, surpassing traditional Australian lining alternatives.

Outstanding Recycled Content

The Good Environmental Choice plasterboard Standard in Australia requires a minimum recycled content of a very modest 10%.  USG Powerscape Fiberock linings blitz this, as 95% of their raw materials come from recycled external waste streams:

• 85% is post industrial gypsum, a waste product obtained from an electricity generator. No open cast or underground mining of gypsum is needed for the manufacture of USG Health® linings;

• 10% is recycled cellulose, meaning no trees are harvested for the manufacture of USG Fiberock linings.

Using USG Fiberock linings means that no raw materials are mined or harvested in Australia.

Minimisation of Site Waste

Using USG Powerscape Fiberock interior linings can reduce site waste.  This is due to the ability with Fiberock to reuse off-cuts during installation; machining in extra tapers to off-cuts as needed.

With plasterboard, depending on wall design, typically up to 10% of the purchased material ends up not being used for the intended lining purpose.  This is because most plasterboard off-cuts do not have taper edges, and hence are not usable as lining material on subsequent wall sections.

Some fibre cement off-cuts can be theoretically tapered on site for re-use in subsequent stages, however in practical terms the abrasiveness of the material and its adverse dust characteristics mean that this process is seldom attempted.

Again high waste levels to landfill often result.

Recycling of Site Waste

Site waste that cannot be utilised on site can be recycled in to a soil additive for agricultural use.  The waste product needs to be free of contamination and disposed off in a dedicated bin.  This service is only available in participating areas, please contact your USG representative for further information.

Demounting and Reuse Now Possible

USG Fiberock linings can be demounted and recovered during demolition, and then be reused again on another structure.  This is normally impossible with plasterboard and fibre cement as the original tapers in  these sheets are not realistically able to be cleaned of jointing materials.

Whereas USG Fiberock linings after demounting can have new edge tapers machined in, making reuse now practical. See the Powerscape linings Installation Instructions for additional details, and also for steps to take during initial installation, to make demounting and reuse an easier task.

Key Endorsements

Good Environmental Choice Australia:  USG Powerscape Fiberock board was the first panel board in Australia to achieve GECA certification.  It has been assessed against the GECA 4-2005 –Gypsum Plasterboard Standard, and awarded with the Australian Good Environmental Choice Eco-Label.

See GECA Endorsement.

Scientific Certification Systems: The 95% recycled content applies to all USG Powerscape interior linings sold in Australia. Scientific Certification Systems certify this claim, and the latest entry can be found on their web site, by searching either under USG, or Fiberock.

See Scientific Certification Systems Endorsement

USG Powerscape and Green Star

Green Star provides a range of third-party certification tools for verifying that a project has met the technical requirements of sustainable building through various aspects of its design and construction. A project may be awarded one of three levels of certification by earning up to 100 points in nine categories.

USG Powerscape – Green Star Guides

• Office Design – Built v3
• Office Interiors v1.1
• Education v1
• Retail v1
• Healthcare v1
• Multi Unit Residential v1