Eberhard wins the business environment award
Eberhard Bau AG is the recipient of this year's economic environmental award. The company was honored for its pioneering work in reusing construction waste as a source of raw materials - “urban mining”.
The business environment prize is awarded annually and is intended to honor companies for success and sustainable action. The winner of the 2020 award is Eberhard Bau AG, based in Kloten. The company has found a solution to reuse and recycle the large amounts of construction waste that are constantly generated. Under the heading of “ urban mining ” – the city as a source of raw materials – the family company has been one of the pioneers in the reuse of building materials that have already been used for a decade and a half. Today, according to a press release , up to 450,000 tons of mineral rubble are processed annually in its recycling center, which is available for new buildings.
In the opinion of Patrick Eberhard, Head of Sales Building Materials, there is often a lack of awareness in the construction industry that construction waste is the largest waste stream in Switzerland. The Eberhard company recycles demolished houses to create completely new buildings from these raw materials. For example, 99 percent of the new Europaallee in Zurich was built with second-hand quality building materials.
"Switzerland needs the environmental award for business, because changes begin with lighthouses that can be used for orientation," the press release quotes the jury president and former Federal Councilor Doris Leuthard.