Gypsum industry news

UK: British Gypsum, part of France's Saint-Gobain group, has been crowned Manufacturer of the Year at the 2013 Building Awards. The company picked up the accolade at the construction industry event in recognition of its focus on innovation, sustainable practices and corporate social responsibility activities in the past 12 months.

The award win follows a number of key developments for British Gypsum in 2012. The manufacturer launched ground-breaking solutions and technologies such as ACTIVair, and became the first UK plaster and drylining producer to achieve a BES 6001 'very good' for a core range of products. In late 2012, British Gypsum also helped to raise over Euro120,000 in just 100 days for construction charity CRASH and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Mike Chaldecott, managing director at British Gypsum, said, "In the past year, we've focused on making key developments that have a real positive impact for our customers, so we're really proud that this has been recognised by the built environment industry at the highest level."

UK: Saint-Gobain, the French building materials giant, has opened its new innovation centre on Great Portland Street in London, UK to showcase the company's products. Showcasing innovative and sustainable products, the centre contains product libraries and resources for specifiers alongside meeting spaces and conference facilities. The centre will display products from Saint-Gobain's many UK businesses, including Artex, British Gypsum, Ecophon, Saint-Gobain Glass, Isover, Pasquill and Weber.

Models of construction products and solutions provide a better understanding of how systems work in practice, whilst screens showcase products, solutions and other Saint-Gobain initiatives.

Speaking at the launch, Saint-Gobain's CEO Pierre-André de Chalendar said, "With this new Innovation Centre, Saint-Gobain opens up to professionals with a global vision of our market to help develop and stimulate research. This Innovation Centre reflects our ambition to become the reference for sustainable habitat, bringing innovative solutions to meet the main challenges of our time."

UK: British Gypsum, part of the Saint-Gobain group, has been shortlisted for a Best Practice award in the Eco Innovation category from the Association of Interior Specialists (AIS). Judges recognised the lengths to which the company went to help customers prove traceability of products and, in turn, meet and exceed environmental targets. British Gypsum was the first UK gypsum-based wallboard and drylining manufacturer to achieve a BES 6001 'very good' rating for its core range of products.

Four other companies have been shortlisted in the category and the winner will be announced at a ceremony during the AIS conference at the Forest of Arden Hotel, Birmingham, on 13 November 2012.

UK: Eastern Waste Disposal Ltd has won a Euro0.85m multiple awardees contract award from Essex County Council to provide services for the collection and recycling of gypsum.

According to the description, "In accordance with its duties under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Essex County Council sought services in relation to the collection and recycling of waste gypsum and tyres sourced from recycling centres for household waste in Essex and waste collection authority/waste disposal authority premises, including transfer stations, in Essex."

The contract period will be 21 months from October 2011 until June 2013 with options for the council to extend.