# Gypsum: Emissions

Where the CO2 comes from when plaster is made

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/gypsum/emissions/

What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint of the commodity at a global level, split by lifecycle phase: extraction (or farming), refining and processing, movement, usage, and recycling or end of life. Intensities are per unit of product; the global total combines intensity with world output. Also covers other environmental impacts and the main levers to cut emissions. Emission intensity 0.10 t CO2e per t range 0.06-0.15 · cradle-to-gate; derived from calcining heat of about 0.8-1.2 GJ/t times natural gas at about 56 kg CO2/GJ, plus quarrying and electricity

Per t of calcined gypsum (stucco or plaster), cradle-to-gate; crude gypsum used raw in cement carries only the extraction step. Intensity: Derived, indicative (IPCC 2006 gas emission factor; process heat indicative). Global total: Derived from USGS MCS 2026 (indicative).

#### Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
 Extraction 10% Refining / processing 85% Movement 5%

#### Footprint by lifecycle phase

| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Extraction** | under 0.01 t CO2e/t crude gypsum (indicative) | 10% | diesel for ripping, loading and haulage; crushing power | Shallow open pits keep this small | ecoinvent-based quarrying values (indicative) |
| **Refining / processing** | about 0.05-0.12 t CO2e/t stucco | 85% | gas or coal fired kettles and flash calciners; board drying kilns add more per tonne of board | Plasterboard EPDs typically report about 1.5-4 kg CO2e per m2 of board (indicative) | Derived; manufacturer EPDs (indicative) |
| **Movement** | about 0.01 t CO2/t for an Oman to west India voyage of roughly 1,500-2,000 km | 5% | bulk carriers emit roughly 3-10 g CO2 per tonne-km depending on size (IMO Fourth GHG Study 2020, indicative) | Longer hauls, such as Spain to the US, can rival the processing footprint for raw gypsum | IMO Fourth GHG Study 2020 (indicative); route lengths approximate |
| **Usage** | none | – | Gypsum is inert in use | Gypsum board slows fire spread; FGD gypsum production itself releases about 0.26 t CO2 per t of gypsum from the limestone used in scrubbing (stoichiometric), usually counted against the power plant | Chemistry (CaCO3 + SO2 + 0.5 O2 to CaSO4 + CO2) |
| **Recycling / end of life** | recycled board avoids quarrying and part of the processing; landfilled board can emit H2S | – | Plant scrap recycling (about 700,000 t a year in the US) and demolition board recovery | EU end-of-life recycling input rate is only 1%; landfills often ban gypsum mixed with organic waste because sulfate-reducing bacteria make H2S | USGS MCS 2026; EU CRM 2023 |

#### Other environmental impacts

Phosphogypsum stacks hold fluoride and naturally occurring radium, limiting reuse. Quarries cause local dust and landscape change. Gypsum dissolves in water, so quarry and landfill drainage needs control.

#### Levers to cut emissions

- Switch calciners and board dryers from coal or gas to biomass, electricity or heat pumps
- Raise use of recycled board, which needs no quarrying (EU recycling input rate only 1%, EU CRM 2023)
- Use lighter boards with less gypsum per m2
- Treat and use phosphogypsum in cement and farming, as India's DPIIT began promoting in 2023

#### India

India's cement plants use about 19-24 Mt of gypsum a year (indicative) and bring most from Oman by sea; India's FGD rollout (target 9.9 Mt a year) and phosphogypsum use could cut imports and quarrying (Global Gypsum 2023-24; content tile estimate).
 Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/gypsum/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/gypsum/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/gypsum/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/gypsum/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/gypsum/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/gypsum/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/gypsum/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/gypsum/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/gypsum/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/gypsum/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/gypsum/characteristics/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/gypsum/links/index.md)