I was told that the gypsum is good for the soil, but breaking up the sheets by hand is not an option. I did toss some in a fire and it breaks apart, but it's still not powder.
Aside from throwing it in the garbage, is there any other use for it, or recycling method?
is it contaminated with lead paint?
Some uses in the Wiki article:
Gypsum has no effect on soil pH. If you want to raise the pH of soil, add lime. Gypsum contributes calcium to the soil, but it is pH neutral, so it does not change the pH.
You're right. I should know better but just repeated the Wiki article without thinking.
It is awfully good for the soil, though, and as you mentioned, it is a valuable source of calcium, especially necessary for tomatoes. I always advise people growing tomatoes in pots to add calcium to the soil to reduce the risk of blossom-end rot.
Speaking of minerals, I always add a small handful of epsom salts to the soil before planting maple trees, or yellow or orange-flowered roses, because they all like magnesium. With roses, it helps deepen the yellow-orange hues.
Reading another source, apparently while neutral it can help alleviate alkaline soil.
From Merck Index: "in soil treatment to neutralize alkali carbonates and to prevent loss of volatile and dissolved nitrogenous compounds by volatilization and leaching"
I put a handful of limestone in my containers where I grow tomatoes every year having dealt with the blossom end rot problem in the past.
It does lots of other stuff though.
Sometimes you see a sign "clean fill wanted" and they will take it.
I don't know, but you remind me that a company in Balitmore recycles concrete. I found that surprising.
Old concrete can be crushed just like native rock into gravel for roads, or used as stone to make new concrete. Why not re-use it. That's better than digging up more rock in quarries, leaving ugly holes in the earth, then filling in landfills with the old stuff. All they need is a rock crusher, however I dont know how they get out rebar and mesh.
Then again, old tires are now ground up and mixed with asphalt for roads. There again, it makes sense, but I've always wondered how they get the steel belts out of them.
If we dont do more to re-use our junk, the world will soon run out of resources. Think that the average highway is replaced every 25 or 30 years, and that is a lot of materials. But if the old concrete can be used to make new concrete, that is a big savings all the way around.
Probably in the crusher.
When I broke up my concrete patio and had it hauled away, I asked where it goes.
Turns out we have a large quarry about 2 miles away. They bring the concrete there and use the same equipment for the concrete as they use for the rock they quarry.
Re-using it didn't surprsie me. That it can be crushed fairly easily (that is, profitably) did.
Aha!
No one uses more old stuff and less new stuff than I do.
Use it up, wear it out, Make it do, or do without.
I don't go quite that far -- I buy something new and under 30 dollars farily often. But new and over 100 dollars, I'd have to go back to the DVDR I bought for 225 four years ago. And the small flatbed trailer kit for about 125, also four years ago. And the rear-view mirror with built-in compass for 200 one year ago. I don't think I could have found these used.
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