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TIL that tossing drywall scraps wrong can cost you and the planet
On my last project, a crew just dumped drywall with normal waste. They got a huge fine from the city for breaking disposal rules. Gypsum in landfills can poison soil and water over time. I now always separate scraps for proper recycling to avoid this. What steps do you take to handle drywall waste responsibly?
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emery4551mo ago
Ugh, trying to do the right thing with drywall scraps once totally backfired on me. I drove all the way to the only recycling spot in the county, like @fisher.paige said they're always out of the way, and it was just closed for the day with no notice. Had a truck full of this stuff and no time to come back, so it just sat there for weeks. It kinda makes you see why people just toss it, even if it's wrong. That whole trip wasted gas and my afternoon, which is a big deal for small jobs.
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jake7381mo ago
Saw a neighbor mix drywall with yard waste once... the city made him dig it all back out.
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fisher.paige1mo ago
Seriously? I gotta say, I see this differently. From what I've seen on job sites, drywall scraps are often a tiny part of the waste. The big fuss over gypsum poisoning soil feels overblown when you think about all the other junk in landfills. I mean, do we really need to separate every little piece when recycling spots are so far out of the way? It adds time and cost for small crews, and that cuts into our bottom line. Why not put more effort into stopping bigger waste problems first?
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