With the commissioning of the new recycling plant in Stockerau, GzG Gipsrecycling GmbH – a joint venture between PORR, Saint-Gobain and Saubermacher – has initiated Austria’s first closed-loop gypsum recycling system. For the first time, gypsum waste can now be processed into recycled material in Austria. This recycled gypsum will be added to new plasterboard panels produced by Saint-Gobain in Bad Aussee. The process conserves natural resources and paves the way for implementing the Recycled Gypsum Regulation and the upcoming landfill ban.

Strong market response

The first gypsum waste arrived in summer 2025, and the market response since commissioning has been extremely positive. At the plant, the material is carefully pre-sorted, mechanically processed, and treated in several screening stages to ensure maximum purity. The Recycled Gypsum Regulation was a key prerequisite for building and commissioning the facility. The regulation came into effect on 1 April 2025 and marked the first time that binding requirements for the separate collection and processing of gypsum waste were laid down. When the landfill ban comes into force on 1 January 2026, recycling capacity will be essential.

Zero waste – 100% recyclable

Gypsum is 100% recyclable. In the first stage, waste is prepared for further processing at the custom-designed mechanical treatment plant in Stockerau. The gypsum core is separated from cardboard and other impurities, before being crushed and subjected to quality control. The resulting recycled material is then transported to Saint-Gobain in Bad Aussee, where up to 40% of it can be used in the production of new plasterboard panels. The transport is carried out with reduced emissions by rail and the Stockerau plant has its own direct railway connection. 

More information can be found here: gzg.at

Official opening ceremony

The official opening of Austria’s first gypsum-to-gypsum recycling plant took place in October, attended by PORR COO Josef-Dieter Deix, Saubermacher founder Hans Roth, Saint-Gobain Chairman and CEO Benoit Bazin, and Peter Giffinger, CEO of Saint-Gobain Austria. Among the distinguished guests were Matthieu Peyraud, French Ambassador to Austria; Elisabeth Zehetner, State Secretary; Stephan Pernkopf, Deputy Governor of Lower Austria; and Christian Moser, Vice President of the Lower Austrian Economic Chamber. Artistic flair was evident at the event: Guests marvelled at a striking wall installation designed by the Vienna-based studio Emanuel Jesse, and a railway wagon covered in graffiti in the distinctive GzG style.

Josef-Dieter Deix, PORR COO: “As a construction company, we take our responsibility for sustainability very seriously. It was important for us to move early in developing an innovative response to the upcoming landfill ban, thereby helping to shape Austria’s circular economy in a meaningful way. With this facility, we’ve established a process that sets a precedent: Gypsum waste, once considered worthless, is now transformed into a valuable recycled material. Together with our partners, PORR has pioneered the collection and processing of gypsum waste”.

Benoit Bazin, Chairman 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 operations and throughout the entire value chain. Sustainable construction requires a rethinking of how we develop, manufacture, and recycle materials. The transition to a circular economy is a must, because it limits the consumption of resources such as gypsum, extends the lifecycle of products, and promotes recycling. Today, we’re taking an important step forward. Together with our partners, we’re proud to open Austria’s first gypsum-to-gypsum recycling plant”.

Peter Giffinger, CEO Austria at Saint-Gobain: “Today we celebrate not only the commissioning of a state-of-the-art facility, but also the realisation of a long-held vision. Since 2019, we have been working towards creating a closed-loop recycling system for gypsum. I have often wondered why, despite gypsum’s millennia-long role as a building material, we had not yet managed to reuse it sustainably. Today, we can proudly say that we have taken a major step towards a circular economy”.

Hans Roth, Saubermacher Founder: “This plant marks a milestone for the circular economy in Austria: For the first time, gypsum is being returned to the material cycle on an industrial scale. By recycling gypsum waste to a high standard, we reduce landfill volume, conserve primary raw materials, and lower emissions. Together with our partners PORR and Saint-Gobain, we’re sending a strong signal for innovation and responsibility in the construction sector - while also ensuring the supply of sustainable raw materials for the future”.

Impressions of the guests of honour

Matthieu Peyraud, Ambassador of France to Austria: “I am delighted that innovation and environmental change are at the heart of Franco-Austrian cooperation. The opening of Austria’s first gypsum-to-gypsum recycling facility – made possible through a French investment by Saint-Gobain Austria in partnership with PORR and Saubermacher – is an important milestone in growing the circular economy in Europe. By reclaiming an almost infinitely recyclable resource, this pioneering project conserves natural materials, gets ahead of regulatory developments, and demonstrates the strength of French-Austrian collaboration in building a more sustainable construction industry”.

Elisabeth Zehetner, State Secretary for Energy, Start-ups and Tourism: “The new gypsum-to-gypsum recycling plant impressively demonstrates how the circular economy can work in practice. Gypsum is an ideal construction material – fully recyclable, regionally available, and a perfect example of how resource conservation and industrial policy go hand in hand. Especially in the construction sector, one of the most resource-intensive industries, this shows what the future can look like: Less landfill, more value creation through circularity. Innovations like this happen when committed companies work together with a shared purpose. GzG Gipsrecycling GmbH, founded by PORR, Saint-Gobain, and Saubermacher, showcases what’s possible through cross-sector expertise and cutting-edge technology. As the federal government, we’re committed to delivering the national strategy for a circular economy with concrete measures and to positioning Austria as a European leader in circular technologies”. 

Stephan Pernkopf, Deputy Governor of Lower Austria: “The new gypsum-to-gypsum recycling plant in Stockerau shows what modern environmental policy looks like: Circular economy instead of a throwaway society. When waste becomes a resource again, it protects nature, strengthens regional value creation, and makes Austria less dependent on imports. Projects like this prove that environmental and economic policy can go hand in hand - innovative, sustainable, and guided by common sense. It’s innovations like these that truly drive progress in environmental and climate protection - not through bans, but through good ideas and innovation”.

Christian Moser, Vice President of the Lower Austrian Economic Chamber: “Efficient use of resources is one of the key future concepts for both our economy and our environment. The field of environmental engineering - where ecology and economy are perfectly combined - opens highly attractive and high-quality business opportunities for our enterprises on a global scale. The new gypsum-to-gypsum recycling plant is an absolute beacon project on this path of innovation and sustainability”.