CIRCULAR ECONOMY DELEGATION
The Circular Economy Delegation was initiated and founded in spring 2025 by Ing. Reinhard Backhausen, BSc, as Vice President of the Austrian Trade Association (the oldest business association in Austria, founded in 1839).
KWD – Companies
As of: 23 January 2026
- ALPLA GROUP
- ANDRITZ
- ANKERBROT
- BAUMIT
- BILLA AG
- BRANTNER GREEN SOLUTIONS
- COCA-COLA
- ENGEL HOLDING / ENGEL AUSTRIA
- ERDAL / WERNER & MERTZ (FROSCH)
- EREMA GROUP
- GREINER AG
- IKEA AUSTRIA
- INFINEON
- INTERZERO
- LOHMANN & RAUSCHER
- MANZ PUBLISHING
- MONDI GROUP
- NESPRESSO
- OMV
- AUSTRIAN HAIL INSURANCE (ÖHV)
- PRINZHORN HOLDING
- RAIFFEISEN BANK INTERNATIONAL
- RED BULL
- SAINT-GOBAIN
- SALESIANER MIETTEX
- SIEMENS AUSTRIA
- SIEMENS LOWER AUSTRIA
- SIEMENS ENERGY AUSTRIA & SLOVENIA AT SI
- SIMACEK
- STRABAG AG
- VÖSLAUER
- WELSER PROFILE
- WIENERBERGER
SHORT TEXT
The Circular Economy Is Innovation and a Guarantee of Raw Materials
The circular economy is becoming the dominant economic model of the future and a strategic imperative for companies.
Why now?
Europe is facing resource scarcity. At the same time, dependencies on volatile global supply chains and critical raw materials are increasing. This makes it all the more important to keep materials in circular loops to strengthen security of supply, price stability, and strategic independence.
Innovation in business
Every company can contribute. Introducing circular economy principles in operations is an innovation process that can increase competitiveness. It acts as a systemic driver of innovation—connecting efficiency, resilience, and long-term value creation.
Circular design
At the core is circular design as a strategic management task. This means considering the entire life cycle already during product development— from material selection and use to return into the material cycle. Materials become predictable assets rather than waste.
New business models
This enables new business models such as product-as-a-service, repair and refurbishment offerings, take-back systems, or participation in secondary raw material markets—strengthening entrepreneurial agility and opening new business fields.
Cooperation & supply chains
The circular economy only works through cooperation along the value chain. It requires new forms of collaboration across company and industry boundaries. Every company should therefore optimize and strategically secure its supply chains—focusing on transparency, resilience, and partnership networks.
From vision to practice
Tools such as the Circular Economy Compass help companies analyze their current position, identify circular potential, and implement prioritized measures. This turns the circular economy from a vision into operational reality.
Visit with Minister Totschnig
First item in 2025: visit with Minister Totschnig (September 2025).
Photo credit: “BMLUK”
KWD visit: Backhausen – Straka – Glatz at BMLUK
Meeting with Sarah Bandera, MSc (Head of Circular Economy in the cabinet of Minister Totschnig) and DI Christian Öhler (Department Head at BMLUK).
KWD delegation: Ing. Reinhard Backhausen, BSc; Mag. Dr. Gabriela Straka; Mag. Thomas Glatz (Managing Director, Interzero).
Photo
KWD visit: Backhausen – Straka – Mühlberger at BMWET
Mag. Dr. Gabriela Straka (Editor-in-Chief, MANZ Publishing; Vice President, respACT), DI Manfred Mühlberger (Chairman of the Board, ECOPRENEUR), Ing. Reinhard Backhausen, BSc (Vice President, Austrian Trade Association; Head of the Circular Economy Delegation).
Meeting with Secretary General Dr. Severin Gruber and his team.
Photo
Visit to the cabinet of BMIMI
KWD delegation: Mag. Dr. Gabriela Straka, DI Manfred Mühlberger, Ing. Reinhard Backhausen, BSc, DI Thomas Menitz (CEO, Lohmann & Rauscher), Dr. Christian Richter-Schöller (Partner, Schiefer Attorneys-at-Law), DI Axel Dick (Authorized Officer, Quality Austria).
Photo credit: “BMIMI/StW”
