Let’s Stop Stacking PG, And Start Recycling It
55 different beneficial use opportunities have been researched and identified - so far
PG Beneficial Use
The innovative potential for PG use presents a tremendous opportunity for sustainable development. For example, roads constructed with PG would be of the same quality as those built with conventional materials, with the added benefit of using recycled materials that are immediately available. PG can be mixed with existing road base materials, offsetting the need for expanded operations, resulting in a net environmental benefit.
By The Numbers:
28 million tons of PG produced per year in the US
Nationwide, 1.7 billion tons of PG is stored in gypstacks today, available for use. Besides providing a economically beneficial alternative to limited construction materials PG also contains rare earth elements that can be extracted and support American efforts to strengthen domestic supply chains, making us less reliant on foreign powers.
5 tons of PG is made per ton of phosphoric acid production, a key element that is needed to make phosphate-based crop nutrients.
Other Countries are Already Recycling PG
Around the world, over 20 countries have acknowledged the beneficial use potential of PG, and are turning it into useful products. If they can do it, so should the United States. Productive use of PG guarantees an essential domestic industry’s future, and provides employment to thousands of Americans. When we use PG, we bolster our economy and in the process, support a cleaner environment. Globally, up to 35 million tons of PG is put to productive use each year without causing harm to people or the environment. In the US, it is time to view PG storage in gypstacks as a last resort and finally put it to sustainable use.
Phosphate Industry Info
Florida is home to abundant phosphate deposits, an essential nutrient needed to grow healthy crops. The phosphate industry brings roughly 13,000 direct and connected jobs to the State and accounts for an estimated $5.03 billion in annual economic impact, including contributing to over half of the Port of Tampa Bay’s activities. Additional phosphate manufacturing occurs in Louisiana and includes another 500 jobs bringing an annual ~$271 million economic boost.
The Phosphate Innovation Initiative supports the goal of 100 percent PG use by 2030. This initiative guarantees an essential domestic industry’s future, providing employment to thousands of Floridians and delivering needed nutrients to grow our food, with the aim of zero waste.