Disposing of the old tiles should be done responsibly as there are several ways of managing the end of life of ceiling tiles based on the materials used and the state of the tile. Recycling of recyclable materials such as glass wool, stone wool and metal tiles will always have a better fate than being dumped into landfills. Reusing of usable tiles prevents waste of valuable resources. This article gives an overview of what can be done with the old tiles and how to do that.
Before getting rid of the tiles that have been removed, one should first find out if some of the tiles can still be reused. Sometimes, tiles are removed due to problems with a small section of them and those sections may actually be in good shape. Undamaged tiles can be stored for future replacement of the single damaged tiles. This method requires no expenditure and makes the least impact on the environment.
Recyclability depends on the material:
However, there is no standard set of recycling routes, which will vary depending on the location and what recycling or manufacturer schemes are available. Manufacturer recycling schemes
There are manufacturer take-back schemes which may provide recycling opportunities for some types of ceiling tiles, especially mineral wool tiles. In this case, they can be recycled rather than sent to landfills. However, such schemes change over time and depending on the manufacturer of the product. If you need to recycle the tile, it is advisable to check the availability of the manufacturer scheme for the specific product. Where such a scheme exists, it is usually the best option for disposal.
In the absence of recycling or reuse possibilities, the removed tiles will be treated as construction and demolition waste and will be disposed of with a waste carrier. It should be noted that gypsum tiles will usually be sorted out from general waste due to recycling and landfill legislation. Try to keep your tiles segregated by type of material, as it is easier to recycle and cheaper to dispose of them.
End-of-life handling is easiest when planned alongside the replacement, not as an afterthought:
The most environmentally friendly way of handling the end-of-life of ceiling tiles involves following a simple hierarchy whereby reusable tiles are repurposed first, tiles that have reached their lifecycle should be recycled where a route is available and finally any remaining should be disposed of. This process not only saves the environment but saves cost at the same time. In relation to the above discussion, the fact that maintenance of a ceiling will produce less waste than replacing it is an important aspect.
Separate the reusable tiles from other types and segregate the tiles based on materials, recycle the available material where there is a route (recycling of metal, glass wool, stone wool and gypsum is possible), and the remaining ones can be sent to the landfill using a licensed carrier.
Yes, some can be recycled since there are many ways of recycling them depending on the material they are made of. Metal is generally recyclable, glass wool and stone wool are recyclable through mineral wool recycling while gypsum is recyclable.
The tiles that have been removed due to a localized issue or access requirement can be stored as spares in order to replace them in the future – the least environmentally invasive and cheapest approach. Only those tiles which are truly failed will require disposal.
This does not always have to be the case – reuse sound tiles, recycle them where there is such an opportunity and dispose of the remaining ones as construction waste. In any case, gypsum, in particular, is usually separated from ordinary landfills.
Replacing tiles? Store sound tiles as spares and get replacement tiles among the Suspended Ceiling Tiles collection.
Need to replace tiles but also keep waste to a minimum? Contact us at 01939 251 450 to match tiles and order suitable spares.
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