Drywall is one of the most commonly used materials in construction — and one of the most wasteful. It’s estimated that more than 10% of drywall from new buildings end up in landfills. The material can release harmful gasses, such as hydrogen sulfide, and act as a potential contaminant for groundwater.
But two architecture professors at Washington State University’s School of Design and Construction have developed a way to turn this waste into something useful. Taiji Miyasaka and David Drake have spent years developing and patenting a process to transform drywall scraps into usable building blocks — a substitute for bricks — and fire-resistant wall panels that are both known as Drywall Waste Technology.
Made with up to 90% drywall waste, WSU estimates that excess material from just 16 new homes could produce enough DWT material to build one tiny home.