With the commissioning of its new recycling plant in Stockerau, GzG Gipsrecycling GmbH, a joint venture between PORR, Saint-Gobain, and Saubermacher, has initiated the first closed plaster cycle in Austria. For the first time, plaster waste can be processed into recycled material in Austria. In future, this will be added to new plasterboards at Saint-Gobain in Bad Aussee. This conserves natural resources and paves the way for the implementation of the recycled plaster ordinance and the upcoming landfill ban.
Great response on the market
The acceptance of plaster waste began as early as summer 2025. The response on the market has been great since the plant went into operation. The waste is carefully pre-sorted at the plant, mechanically processed, and treated in several screening stages to ensure maximum purity. The Recycling Plaster Ordinance is an essential prerequisite for the construction and commissioning of the plant. This has been in force since April 1, 2025, and for the first time created binding requirements for the separation and processing of plaster waste by type. With the landfill ban coming into force on January 1, 2026, the demand for recycling options will become a necessity.
Zero waste – 100% recyclable
Plaster is 100% recyclable. In the first step, the waste is prepared for further processing in a customized mechanical waste treatment plant in Stockerau. . To this end, the plaster core is separated from cardboard and other impurities, crushed, and subjected to quality control. The manufactured recyclate is then transported to Saint-Gobain in Bad Aussee. Up to 40 percent of the recyclate can be processed there into new plasterboards.
Transport is carried out by rail to reduce emissions; the plant in Stockerau has its own rail connection for this purpose. Sustainability also plays a major role in the operation of the recycling center in other ways.
Grand Opening
The grand opening of the new plaster-to-plaster recycling plant took place in October in the presence of PORR COO Josef Dieter Deix, Saubermacher founder Hans Roth, Benoit Bazin, President and CEO of the Saint-Gobain Group, and Peter Giffinger, CEO Austria at Saint-Gobain. Among the guests of honor were French Ambassador Matthieu Peyraud, State Secretary Elisabeth Zehetner, Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf, and Christian Moser, Vice President of the Lower Austria Chamber of Commerce. Aesthetics were not neglected either: an artistically designed wall by the Viennese studio Emanuel Jesse caused a stir, as did a train carriage decorated with graffiti in the GzG look.
PORR COO Josef-Dieter Deix: “As a construction company, we take our responsibility for sustainability very seriously. It was important to us to to come up with an innovative response to the landfill ban at an early stage and thus make a substantial contribution to the circular economy in Austria With this plant, we have created a process that serves as a model: Plaster waste, previously considered worthless, is converted into a valuable recycling material. PORR, together with its partners, has done pioneering work in the collection and processing of plaster waste.”
Benoit Bazin, President and CEO of the Saint-Gobain Group: “In the 80 countries where Saint-Gobain operates, we are committed to reducing the environmental impact of construction, both within our own sphere of influence and along the value chain. Sustainable construction requires a rethinking of how we develop, manufacture, and recycle materials. The transition to a circular economy is essential because it reduces resource consumption, for example of plaster, extends the life cycle of products, and promotes recycling. Today, we are taking a significant step forward: Together with our partners, we are proud to open Austria’s first “plaster-to-plaster” recycling plant.”
Peter Giffinger, CEO Austria at Saint-Gobain: “Today, we are not only celebrating the commissioning of a state-of-the-art plant, but also the realization of a long-cherished vision. Since 2019, we have been working on bringing plaster into a closed recycling loop. The question of why, despite the millennia-long importance of plaster as a building material, we have not succeeded in reusing it sustainably has always preoccupied me. Today, we can proudly say that we have taken a significant step toward a circular economy.”
Saubermacher-Founder Hans Roth: “This plant marks a milestone for the circular economy in Austria: For the first time, plaster is being returned to the material cycle on an industrial scale. By recycling plaster waste in a high-quality manner, we are reducing landfill volumes, saving primary raw materials, and lowering emissions. Together with our partners PORR and Saint-Gobain -Gobain, we are sending a strong signal for innovation and responsibility in the construction industry while also securing the supply of sustainable raw materials for the future.”
[Source: saubermacher.at]