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Drywall recyclers find multiple markets Construction generates lots of waste, which they process for manufacturers. It also has uses in landscaping and agriculture By GREG STILES Mail Tribune WHITE CITY - As his body started to feel the effects of back-breaking construction work, Larry Stoner began considering his options. His doctor told him lifting weight wasn't one of them, so he began exploring offshoots of what he had done as a general and sub-contractor. "I had done construction and drywall all of my life," Stone says. "I realized there was an awful lot of waste involved in the drywall process." He decided he could do something with the estimated 350,000 pounds of local gypsum wallboard waste that winds up in landfills each month. Hence came the development of American Recycling Collecting and Hauling, or ARCH. The company recycles gypsum from construction sites and other sources around the Rogue Valley, then feeds them to a machine Stoner began developing several years ago at the company's 7,200-square-foot facility at 1580 Avenue F. "That (350,000 pounds) seems like a phenomenal amount, but to tell you the truth, that's light," says Stoner. He based his figures on the number of truck deliveries to lumber yards and retailers along with the average waste generated by home construction, which ranges from a standard 10 percent to 15-20 percent for homes with cathedral ceilings. His estimates don't even take into consideration remodel or demolition waste. Stoner's partner is Bud Wilkinson, 41, who grew up in Medford with Stoner before moving to California for 20 years. "Recycling was really big down there and what intrigues me is that you should be able to find a second use for this instead of it going to a landfill," Wilkinson says. "Hopefully, it will be lucrative enough to where it makes sense to do something." The key in recycling the drywall, however, is finding affordable machinery that won't fall apart. Recycler's World lists companies in Georgia, New York, Massachusetts and Argentina. "The only machines on the market start at about $250,000 and they don't work," Stoner says. "Maintenance is a nightmare." Stoner's answer has been to develop his own machinery, and he's on the fifth generation of trial and error development. The drywall goes through crushing, grinding, extracting and bagging. Stoner says he doesn't want to get more specific until patents are secure. Stoner is concentrating on construction sites because purity is an issue for end-product users. "You've got to stay above 85 percent purity to go back to construction," Stoner says. "There's paper, Fiberglas and glue products in the boards. On a remodel, you might have paneling and paint tear off from the existing structure. Sometimes you have to run it through a couple times." In addition to delivering to drywall makers in Vancouver, Wash., and Antioch, Calif., there are agricultural and landscaping uses. Stoner says about 20 percent of drywall by-product has agricultural use. The calcium sulfate can serve as a soil amendment, fertilizer and conditioner. He said lab tests have shown it can even be used to enhance cattle feed. The material can be molded into stepping stones, benches and ash trays, among other items. He was awarded a six-month trial by the Department of Environmental Quality. Once the agency is satisfied he is recycling, rather than stockpiling, he will be cleared to do business throughout the state and eventually throughout the West. Stoner already has begun preparations for a 10,000- to 20,000-square-foot building on a one-acre parcel in north Portland that would be used as a collecting recycling site for material removed from the Puget Sound area. A semi-truck can haul 40,000 to 45,000 pounds, and 300 to 500 loads a month could mean processing 12 million pounds monthly. Jeff Brown of R.B. Brown Trucking in Central Point says he doesn't expect to add many drivers in the immediate future to meet ARCH's needs. But once the recycler expands outside the valley, he foresees a great deal of action. "It creates more local work, which I'm tickled for," Brown says. "I haul Sheetrock for Georgia Pacific and now we get a chance to haul Sheetrock scrap. It's kind of cool for me." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.