Urban Gypsum opens drywall recycling facility

Portland, Oregon-based Urban Gypsum has announced the opening of a 75,000-square-foot drywall processing and recycling plant in that city.

The company’s new facility can separate the paper backing from the gypsum material and create a fine gypsum powder. The material produced is expected to be used as an agricultural soil amendment and plant nutrient.

“We’re excited to be bringing specialized recycling technology to the Pacific Northwest,” says Casey Lane, Urban Gypsum’s president.

Urban Gypsum has been created in partnership with Portland-based Willamette Construction Services Inc., and Lane says that company’s experience in previous decades prompted it to explore drywall recycling options.

“Our organization has been in the construction industry for more than 40 years,” says Lane. He adds, “Over that time, we’ve seen an excessive amount of gypsum going to landfills and believed it was time to invest in an environmentally beneficial solution. Our high-quality gypsum will go a long way toward supporting farmers and the agricultural industry.”