Press Release

Wienerberger focusses on urban mining and develops a fully circularly brick

25. April 2022

Urban Mining: Raw materials from demolished buildings used for CicloBrick, a facing brick produced in the Netherlands
Circular economy as a central pillar of Wienerberger’s growth
The company is continuously investing in innovative products and solutions

Vienna – Within the framework of its ambitious ESG targets, the Wienerberger Group is making every effort to promote a functioning circular economy. Together with customers and partners, Wienerberger explores new applications and invests in the development of innovative products to meet the challenges of the future. In close cooperation with New Horizon, a Dutch urban mining specialist, Wienerberger is now launching the CicloBrick, a sustainable and fully circularly brick.

The sustainably produced CicloBrick is made from clay as the basic natural raw material, with 20% ground ceramic residues, reclaimed by New Horizon from demolished buildings, added to the mixture. This innovative procedure contributes to the reduction of ceramic demolition residues and the avoidance of waste. With the intention of further expanding this process and the use of urban mining in the long term, this new type of brick is being produced for the first time at a Wienerberger site in the Netherlands. At the end of its lifecycle, the CicloBrick can be recycled in the same way and reused as building material in line with the principles of circularity.

"A stronger emphasis on the circularity economy is a great opportunity and offers numerous advantages: Less environmental impact, enhanced security of raw material supply, increased competitiveness, and a focus on innovation. Within the framework of our cooperation and partnerships with young, innovative companies we are therefore doing our utmost to design products and systems based on the principle of circularity in order to save raw materials and reduce emissions. The climate crisis is an undeniable fact, and it takes ambitious targets and determined action to ensure a desirable future for generations to come. Wienerberger is ready to assume responsibility for people’s quality of life and for nature."

Heimo Scheuch

CEO

Daniel Hinterramskogler

Through its involvement in the development of the CicloBrick, Wienerberger also joins the Urban Mining Collective of New Horizon. The partners of this collective are pursuing the goal of using the urban space as a resource and reusing raw materials from objects under demolition. Moreover, as of 2023, all new Wienerberger products will be 100% recyclable or reusable. At the same time, the Wienerberger Group is steadily increasing the share of secondary and recycled raw materials used in production. Other crucial topics include sustainable packaging and the reduction of CO2 emissions. Wienerberger’s long-term target is aligned with the goals of the European Green Deal: The Group intends to reduce its CO2 emissions by 40% until 2030.

In the Netherlands, the Wienerberger Group operates as a full-range provider of smart and sustainable system solutions, in particular on the roof, the façade, wall segments, and for infrastructure. These solutions provide a wide range for sustainable renovation, new build, and infrastructure.

About New Horizon

New Horizon has set itself the target of producing building materials in support of a circular economy. Since 2015, the company has supplied production sites and distribution partners with high-quality materials reclaimed from demolished buildings through urban mining. By harvesting as much valuable material at demolition sites as possible and thus creating the optimal basis for the production of new products (upcycling), New Horizon is competing with the traditional “linear approach”.