Building materials manufacturer Knauf UK & Ireland has announced a partnership with waste management specialist Reconomy Connect to enhance its plasterboard take-back service and increase circularity across construction projects, as reported by Architecture Today. The partnership, announced on 19 June 2026, is designed to divert plasterboard waste from construction sites directly to trusted gypsum reprocessors, enabling recycled gypsum to be fed back into Knauf's manufacturing process to produce new plasterboard.

Plasterboard is a highly recyclable material, with both its gypsum core and paper facing layers capable of being reprocessed into new product. Despite this, plasterboard waste on construction sites frequently exceeds expectations and, if not separated and correctly managed, must be disposed of in separate mono-cell landfill, a process that is both environmentally damaging and commercially costly for contractors. The partnership aims to close that loop by connecting construction sites directly to compliant processing routes through Reconomy Connect's nationwide network of vetted waste management contractors.

Where direct reprocessing is not economically or environmentally viable, local processors will be engaged to ensure landfill diversion is maintained. The service covers the entirety of the UK and Ireland and leverages Reconomy Connect's more than 30 years of experience in construction waste management, including environmental reporting capabilities that support main contractors tracking lifecycle impact across their projects.

Becky Broadbent, sustainability proposition manager at Knauf, said: "This partnership is about making it easier for our customers to manage plasterboard waste responsibly while supporting circular outcomes. By improving access to take-back and recycling services, we can keep valuable materials in use for longer and reduce the reliance on landfill."

David Seal, head of Circular Solutions at Reconomy, said: "We are delighted to be partnering with Knauf to support the construction industry on the circularity of materials. We are combining our nationwide operational capability with a practical solution that helps drive better environmental outcomes across projects."

Construction waste management is an increasingly material concern for contractors across the UK and Ireland as environmental regulations tighten and green building certifications place greater weight on material circularity and landfill diversion. According to the UK Environment Agency, the construction sector generates approximately 62 million tonnes of waste annually, with plasterboard among the materials subject to specific landfill restrictions under the Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002, which prohibit co-disposal of gypsum-based materials with biodegradable waste due to the risk of hydrogen sulphide gas generation.