Around 15 million pounds of drywall are made throughout the United States every year. The majority of it is used on walls, but about 15% is wasted. What can we do with it?

Other than professional plasterers and drywallers, nobody likes dealing with drywall. It's heavy, crumbly, and difficult to cut neatly. It's not even worth mudding and taping and mucking up—just dust and mess. The majority of it is used on walls; however, around 15% is leftover debris. What do you do with it?

Recycle It

Drywall is made up of gypsum (calcium sulfate), and water is spread over paper backing and kiln-fired to form 4 feet by 8 feet (or 10 feet or 12 feet.) sheets. Calcium sulfate is naturally occurring that can be beneficial in your garden or lawn. It can also be recycled as a part of the sheets of drywall that you purchase from the home centers, which is made from recycled wallboard.

There aren't many recycling programs that allow curbside recycling with the use of drywall. So you'll need to research when you're a recycling proponent. It's possible, however.

Repurpose It

It is also possible to repurpose wallpaper by peeling away the paper. Begin with one corner and then pull until it falls off quite effortlessly. After that, you can crush it into powder form, and then apply it to your lawn or garden. Gypsum can enhance soil structure and help reduce erosion.

Compost It

Additionally, you can add drywall that has been crushed with the backing removed from your garden composter. Take note, however, that the gypsum from drywall that has been decomposing is notoriously sour.

Save It

If you're a DIYer, it is logical to have a few usable leftover drywall pieces to make repairs. If you don't, you'll end up purchasing a whole sheet of 4 x 8 just to fix a minor issue. If you're an artist, you should know that the backing paper on drywall can take paint very well. The drywall can serve as a canvas to create your work.

If you're not able to reuse or recycle it, you should eliminate any drywall leftover. Garbage haulers typically will pick it off if it's been broken down and then re-bagged. If you're keeping it, keep it in a dry area as it is drywall (expect for the specially-mold-resistant type) is a suitable home for mildew and mold.