Press Release

Wienerberger Belgium honored with UFEMAT Award

11. November 2019

UFEMAT Award for sustainable packaging solutions
Shrink wrap containing 50% recycled plastic
Reduction in plastic wrap waste

With its Packaging Award, UFEMAT draws attention to sustainable packaging solutions. This year’s winner was announced during UFEMAT’s 61st General Assembly in Montreux, Switzerland. The first prize went to Wienerberger for a circular shrink wrap developed at the company’s production site in Belgium.

At Wienerberger, sustainability is firmly embedded in the corporate strategy.

In the building materials and infrastructure industry we are well-positioned to respond to the global challenges confronting us, including the scarcity of resources and the resultant need to promote a circular economy, by providing smart solutions to improve people’s quality of life and create sustainable value.

Heimo Scheuch

CEO

In 2018, Wienerberger cooperated with a number of partners in the development of a new circular granulate made from recycled plastic material. In January and February 2019, the first circular shrink wrap hood was produced and applied. The winning circular shrink wrap is unique in the construction industry: It contains 50% recycled plastic material and therefore represents a significant contribution to sustainability in the field of building material packaging.

To develop the shrink wrap, all contributors to the project pooled their know-how and research resources. The first steps were taken within the framework of the “Clean Site Circular” project, which initially focused primarily on the collection of plastic packaging material from construction sites. For the circular shrink wrap, the partners developed a special “booster” that was mixed with the recycled plastic material. Wienerberger Belgium defined the specifications and carried out tests in Beerse to evaluate any possible impact of the packaging on facing bricks and its performance during transport.

UFEMAT applies strict evaluation criteria for the Packaging Award, with four aspects subjected to particular scrutiny: design, circularity, waste avoidance and innovation. The jury verifies, for instance, if the packaging material is easy to recycle and if every effort has been made to eliminate unnecessary packaging material from the production chain.