Austria’s shift toward mandatory gypsum recycling is creating a new transport flow for the ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG). From 1 January 2026, gypsum waste may no longer be landfilled in the country, prompting the construction and commissioning of a dedicated recycling plant in Stockerau. Rail now forms the link between construction waste collection and new plasterboard production.
The Stockerau facility, operated by GzG Gipsrecycling — a joint venture of PORR, Saint-Gobain, and Saubermacher — started handling gypsum waste in mid-2025. It is Austria’s first plant capable of converting gypsum waste back into usable recyclate. With an annual capacity of 60,000 tonnes, the site is equipped with its own rail siding for outbound movements.
Once processed, the recycled gypsum is loaded into single wagons and moved by RCG to Saint-Gobain’s plasterboard plant in Bad Aussee. There, the material is blended with mined gypsum for new board production. According to the companies involved, up to 40% of the recycled gypsum can be incorporated into fresh products, reducing the use of primary raw materials.
The logistics chain relies on rail to connect the Stockerau recycling line with the manufacturing site in Styria. The siding at the plant allows direct loading, avoiding additional truck transfers. For the rail freight sector, the new stream adds a stable flow of bulk mineral transport linked to Austria’s upcoming landfill ban and the Recycling Gypsum Ordinance that came into effect earlier in 2025.
