Knauf receives award for its gypsum recycling strategy at the German Sustainability Projects Award
The Knauf Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of building materials and systems, has been honoured with the German Sustainability Projects Award 2026. The award recognises the company’s commitment to reusing gypsum from demolition and refurbishment projects as a high-quality raw material. The prize is awarded by the German Institute for Service Quality (DISQ), the news channel ntv and DUP Unternehmer.
Knauf is investing in recycling capacity, establishing regional raw material networks and collaborating with partners along the value chain to reuse gypsum waste from demolition and refurbishment projects as a raw material. This creates regional raw material cycles that conserve resources and secure the long-term supply of gypsum.
The jury, chaired by Prof. Dr Claudia Kemfert and under the patronage of former Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Brigitte Zypries, particularly commended the short circular supply chain, the high scalability of the approach and the potential to make the construction industry less dependent on raw material supply chains. Jury chair Prof. Dr Claudia Kemfert emphasised in a statement issued by the organiser: “Whilst sustainability may currently have taken a back seat as a key political issue, the nominations and award winners nevertheless demonstrate just how indispensable it is. Sustainable economic management means securing a future worth living in, a healthy economy and lasting prosperity.”
“For us, recycling is far more than waste management. It helps us keep valuable raw materials in circulation and secure the construction industry’s supply in the long term,” said Dr Uwe Knotzer, General Partner of the Knauf Group. “This award confirms our approach of combining technological expertise with long-term entrepreneurial thinking and advancing circular economy solutions at an industrial scale.”
Gypsum is one of the few building materials that can be recycled almost indefinitely from a technical point of view. At the same time, the industry is facing a fundamental shift in its raw material base. With the gradual phasing out of flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) gypsum from coal-fired power generation, the recycling of gypsum waste is becoming increasingly important. Knauf is therefore pursuing the goal of establishing recycling as an integral part of its raw materials strategy and keeping available materials in the cycle for longer. Regional raw materials networks shorten transport routes, conserve resources and manage material flows more efficiently. At the same time, recycling helps to ensure the long-term availability of an important building material that enables affordable construction.
To this end, the family-owned company is investing globally in new recycling capacity and partnerships. A key milestone is the gypsum recycling plant currently under construction in Neuhof an der Zenn in Bavaria, in collaboration with its partner BSR. From 2027, the plant is set to process around 90 000 t of gypsum waste annually, thereby doubling the volume of recycled gypsum in Germany. In France, too, a new recycling plant is being built in collaboration with partners near Auneuil, north of Paris, with a planned capacity of 150 000 t/a. Furthermore, Knauf already has many years’ experience in gypsum recycling, for example in Japan, where Group companies manufacture gypsum boards from fully recycled gypsum. In Canada, a pilot project has also been launched to recycle gypsum waste from demolition projects.
