As part of the Berlin Re-Use Initiative, the online expert dialog on the recycling of gypsum took place on 26 November 2020. This expert dialogue, to which the Senate Department for the Environment, Transport and Climate Protection of the State of Berlin invited together with relevant associations and companies, was dedicated to important issues around gypsum recycling. Eighty-five people took part in the expert dialog.

Since buildings and their construction waste are large stores of raw materials, Berlin intends to make greater use of this source of raw materials in the future. Many building materials can be recycled in a high-quality way – including gypsum board. Every cubic meter of recycled gypsum replaces one cubic meter of natural gypsum, thus helping to protect nature and the landscape. Almost 35,000 metric tons of gypsum-containing construction waste are generated every year in Berlin alone. And the trend is rising sharply. So far, however, these resources still end up in landfills. This is expensive and time-consuming, causes unnecessarily long transport routes and wastes resources.

Collecting and recycling gypsum waste separately makes ecological and economic sense. Berlin is therefore planning to set up a comprehensive recycling concept for gypsum board.