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Posted by: Steve Young on 10/4/03 Title: REcycling plaster

Postnum: 198 EntryID:943

I am doing some renovations on my 1910 vintage home which includes tearing out a lot of old plaster and lath from the walls. I have separated the plaster from the lath and wonder if I can recycle the plaster in my compost (I'm assuming that the plaster is made simply of lime and sand). Is this feasible? Should I be aware of any toxins contained in the plaster which would prohibit me from recycling it back into my soil? Thanks

Responses

Posted by: Chris R on 10/9/03 Title: Re: REcycling plaster

Postnum: 198 EntryID:945

Hi Steve,

I'm not aware of any toxins in plaster which would prohibit you from recycling it into soil (but then again, this is not my area of expertise).

However, many older plasters had asbestos fibers added as a binder to the plaster to enhance stength and reduce cracking. Traditionally, the asbestos content was quite low (1-5%) but removing the plaster can cause the asbestos fibers to go airborne if they are present(sampling is the only method to confirm).

On the same note, if asbestos fibers are present, adding them to your soil could pose a low risk of inhalation hazard to persons tilling or disturbing the soil.

All provinces have regulations which govern asbestos and many have regulations concerning construction waste and disposal.

Good luck with your project.

Posted by: Peter P on 11/28/03 Title: Re: REcycling plaster	Postnum: 198 EntryID:974
Um....is this plaster going to be first contrapuled? I would check into that first before i do any composting

Posted by: Dean S on 3/19/05 Title: Re: REcycling plaster	Postnum: 198 EntryID:1337
Depending on the date of the application of the plaster to the lath, some plaster mixtures included horsehair as a binder.

Posted by: Dean S on 3/19/05 Title: Re: REcycling plaster	Postnum: 198 EntryID:1338
Depending on the date of the application of the plaster to the lath, some plaster mixtures included horsehair as a binder.

Posted by: Ian Coletti on 5/24/05 Title: Re: REcycling plaster	Postnum: 198 EntryID:1403
I'm curious about this as well... I'm sure there is a concern of old lead paint (at least in my area - Maryland, USA).