More sustainable. Less paper.
Georgia-Pacific Gypsum is building for a sustainable tomorrow.
Every day, Georgia-Pacific Gypsum's award-winning gypsum products make today's buildings and homes more durable.
Behind this work are the GP Dens™ family of fiberglass mat gypsum products designed to resist moisture and mold by replacing paper found on traditional gypsum panels with fiberglass mats. While setting the standard for moisture-forgiving buildings from the building envelope to interior, these innovative panels can increase durability of the structure itself and contribute to better indoor air quality in three ways:
1. We support the concept of sustainability.
Georgia-Pacific Gypsum supports sustainable construction because we believe it's the right thing to do-by doing more with less and meeting today's construction needs without jeopardizing the needs of future generations.
True sustainability begins when societal, environmental and economic needs are mutually achieved. It's good business practice, and it's part of our core business ethic. That's why we're a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). And why several of our fiberglass mat interior panels are GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified® for low chemical emissions.
It is why we advocate using building materials that are "forgiving" of moisture - to help buildings and homes last a long, long time. Our products' moisture forgiving attributes can be part of the solution architects are looking for as they design energy-efficient buildings. By their nature, these buildings are "tight" and highly climate controlled, which can create moisture and air quality issues. To support a successful energy-efficient design, there will be an increased demand for rigorous moisture management and indoor air quality approaches - two areas where our fiberglass mat gypsum panels contribute in a meaningful way.
2. We deliver sustainable manufacturing and product solutions.
The GP Dens family of products is sustainable because at Georgia-Pacific Gypsum, we start with clean, resource-effective manufacturing in 26 locally run, high-efficiency plants in the United States.
Some innovative recycling efforts help us utilize "synthetic gypsum" which augments our supply of mined rock. Synthetic gypsum, which is chemically identical to natural rock, is a byproduct of coal-burning utilities that scrub their exhaust to remove sulfur and sulfates (a process called flue gas desulfurization or FGD.) Historically, generating utilities landfill these byproducts. Some of our manufacturing facilities convert more than 600,000 tons of FGD into gypsum products each year.
All of our manufacturing facilities use clean fuels such as natural gas, but several also employ state-of-the-art programs to convert wasted or byproduct energy into usable energy to run manufacturing processes. One of our Canadian plants has supplemented natural gas with methane, a greenhouse gas generated in landfills. And other facilities work with local utilities in cogeneration activities.
Additionally, we're closing the loop on our production processes by using water recovery and reuse processes. As a result, our facilities have little or no wastewater discharge and minimal effluent.
Our Dens Brand fiberglass mat gypsum panels are considered sustainable products by the design community due to their durability, low-emitting, and moisture- and mold-resistant attributes. So buildings constructed with Dens panels can last longer and help provide better indoor air quality for occupants. Our products perform under normal circumstances and under unusually demanding conditions. Barry Reid, product development manager at Georgia-Pacific Gypsum calls it sustainigation -- in other words, taking sustainable products and mitigating or minimizing extraordinary challenges that may occur during and after the construction process. This means buildings are more durable, efficient and with better indoor air quality; and constructed to help survive natural disasters and life's little disasters. As proof of our confidence in our products, we warrant many of our Dens Brand gypsum panels, some up to 12 months with weather exposure limited warranties.
3. We promote best practices in sustainable design and construction
Georgia-Pacific Gypsum believes that building with fiberglass mat gypsum panels, rather than traditional paper-faced boards, is a powerful ally for reaching a sustainable future. Our carefully engineered, time-tested products resist moisture and therefore mold growth.
It's a radically simple idea: Dens Brand gypsum panels don't fall apart when confronted with ambient moisture or water due to leaks. It's a simple fact that paper facings can potentially feed mold growth when they get wet. So, our technical experts replaced the paper facings of traditional gypsum board with fiberglass mats. Plus we treat the core with silicone to resist moisture. Used with good construction practices, this means longer-lasting, more sustainable buildings.
To build sustainably, look for products that are low-emitting, mold-resistant and highly durable. In those green specs, you'll surely find Georgia-Pacific Gypsum.
There's more to Georgia-Pacific Gypsum, and much more behind our commitment to a green future. Start your construction projects with innovative fiberglass mat gypsum panels - and start building for a sustainable tomorrow.
GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified is a trademark and GREENGUARD Children & Schools is a service mark of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI). LEED is a registered trademark of U.S. Green Building Council.
"We've engaged the building science community who study and make suggestions to builders and architects as to how to build buildings that are more durable and more quality-conscious as it relates to indoor air quality. Those are two major components of sustainability."
Barry Reid
Product Development Marketing Manager
