Recupero Etico Sostenibile

What Recupero Etico Sostenibile does

Recupero Etico Sostenibile S.p.A. (RES) is an Italian publicly listed circular economy operator headquartered in Pettoranello del Molise, Italy, that runs an integrated chain of waste treatment, recycling, and material valorization facilities. Its core activities include mechanical-biological treatment, advanced plastic sorting using NIR spectroscopy and optical sorters (capacity ~40,300 tonnes/year, expandable to 80,000), PET washing producing rPET flakes (~8,000 tonnes/year), tunnel composting, biogas-powered cogeneration (~4,700 MWh/year), and a 1 MW photovoltaic installation. Under development are a pyrolysis plant (~100+ tonnes/day) and a 1 MW green hydrogen electrolyser (~150 tonnes/year), both targeted for June 2026 commissioning, plus a vehicle demolition facility and a recently acquired biodegradable plastics plant. Supporting capabilities include an 18,000 sqm Polymeres R&D Center in Pozzilli with FT-IR, DSC, Instron tensile testing, extruder/injection moulding, and spinning lines for recycled polymer and textile fiber development.

The company serves Italian municipalities, industrial manufacturers, and chemical industry offtakers. Revenue streams comprise waste treatment and processing fees, sale of secondary raw materials (rPET flakes, recycled polymers, sorted plastic fractions, metals, compost), pyrolytic oil sold under a long-term agreement with Shell Chemicals Europe B.V., electricity fed to the grid, landfill disposal, and R&D/consulting services. Go-to-market is direct B2B sales supported by public tender participation and active investor engagement through conferences such as ECOMONDO and European Small & Midcap Awards.

RES has been on Euronext Growth Milan since May 4, 2023. Ownership is concentrated: Valerio family entities control 61.71% via a shareholders' agreement (A.L.V. 27.04%, A.A.V. 12.08%, M.V. 12.08%), with First Sicaf/First4Progress at 10.8% post the November 2025 EUR 20M capital raise and Invitalia at 6.91%. Antonio Valerio (born 1973) serves as CEO following a December 2025 leadership transition that also added Enzo Scalia as M&A strategic advisor, signaling a more active corporate development posture.

Name

Recupero Etico Sostenibile

Legal name

Recupero Etico Sostenibile S.p.A.

Website

https://recuperoeticosostenibile.it

Company type

Public

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Recupero Etico Sostenibile is an Italian publicly listed circular economy operator that converts post-consumer waste into secondary raw materials, pyrolytic oil (under long-term Shell offtake), recycled polymers, compost, and renewable energy for municipalities, industrial manufacturers, and chemical industry clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management and Circular Economy Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (56292), Waste Collection (56211), Waste Treatment and Disposal (5622)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Post-Consumer Plastic Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF, Bale Supply) (EUAIAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Packaging Waste Services (Pallets, Cardboard, Film, IBCs/Drums—Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAD), Digestate & Compost Product Processing, Marketing & Distribution (Soil Amendments, Mulch) (EUAIAEAE), Plastic Recycling Equipment & Technology Providers (Sorting, Washing, Extrusion) (EUAIAKAM), Commercial Food Waste Programs & On-Site Solutions (Cafeterias, Grocers, Hospitality) (BPALAEAE)

Keywords

• Waste management services
• Plastic recycling facilities
• Chemical recycling pyrolysis
• Circular economy operations
• Secondary raw materials production

Headquarters

HQ city

Pettoranello Del Molise

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Waste Treatment and Processing Fees: Revenue from processing and treating waste materials (plastics, municipal waste, organic waste) received from municipalities and industrial clients, with fees based on tonnage processed.
2. Secondary Raw Materials Sales: Sale of processed and recovered materials including rPET flakes, recycled polymers, sorted plastic fractions (PET, HDPE, PP), ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and compost products.
3. Pyrolytic Oil Sales (Shell Agreement): Long-term strategic agreement with Shell Chemicals Europe B.V. for sale of pyrolytic oil produced from chemical recycling of plastic waste fractions that cannot be mechanically recycled.
4. Energy Generation and Sales: Cogeneration plant producing approximately 4,700 MWh annually from biogas, fed into local electricity distribution grid. Additional renewable energy from 1 MW photovoltaic installation.
5. Landfill Disposal Services: Non-hazardous waste landfill operations at Tufo Colonoco site with capacity of 250+ tonnes per cell, providing waste disposal services.
6. Sustainability Consulting and R&D Services: Research and Development Center providing material testing, characterization, and consulting services for companies seeking to reduce ecological footprint and redesign products for circular economy.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RES selects, treats, and valorises post-consumer waste through an integrated network of mechanical-biological treatment, advanced plastic sorting, washing, composting, cogeneration, photovoltaic, and landfill facilities, converting waste into secondary raw materials (rPET flakes, recycled polymers, compost), pyrolytic oil, renewable electricity, and green hydrogen. The company sells these outputs and processing services to Italian municipalities, industrial manufacturers, and the chemical industry under long-term contracts (notably a pyrolytic oil offtake with Shell Chemicals Europe B.V.) and provides material testing and R&D services through its Polymeres R&D center in Pozzilli.

Product overview

Recupero Etico Sostenibile (RES) is a circular economy company operating waste management facilities including mechanical-biological treatment, advanced plastic sorting, washing, composting, cogeneration, and photovoltaic installations. The company operates in Pettoranello del Molise and Pozzilli, with new facilities under development including Pyrolysis Plant (converting non-recyclable plastics to pyrolytic oil), Green Hydrogen Plant (1 MW electrolyser producing ~150 tonnes/year), and Demolition Plant for vehicle recycling. RES provides technology services including polymer testing/characterization labs and R&D for recycled textile fibers through its Polymeres R&D Center. The company also received EUR 527,000 funding for Cosmic Muons technology for landfill investigation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mechanical-Biological Treatment Plant with SRF Production Treatment facility that processes municipal and non-hazardous special waste into combustible waste (RDF), organic fraction, plastics, ferrous metals, and residual material using optical sorting and NIR spectroscopy, sold to municipalities and waste management companies.
• Sorting Plant with SRF Production (Pozzilli) Separate collection recovery plant in Pozzilli that processes mixed and single-material packaging into homogeneous waste streams and secondary raw materials using optical sorting technology, for municipalities and industrial clients.
• Advanced Plastic Sorting Plant (Pettoranello) Advanced plastic sorting facility in Pettoranello del Molise that divides plastic packaging waste into homogeneous fractions by polymer type and color with NIR/optical sorting and manual sorting, producing secondary raw materials for industrial customers at 40,300 tonnes/year capacity.
• Washing Plant (PET, HDPE, PP) Plastic washing facility processing recovered PET, HDPE, and PP into rPET flakes meeting UNI 10667 requirements for secondary raw materials, with 8,000 tonnes/year annual capacity for industrial customers.
• Composting Plant Forced maturation composting system in a closed tunnel environment that decomposes organic material through controlled bio-oxidative and humification phases, producing compost for sale to agricultural and industrial customers.
• Cogeneration Plant for Energy Recovery Biogas capture and cogeneration facility with 625 kW nominal capacity that generates approximately 4,700 MWh of renewable electricity per year from landfill biogas, feeding the Italian electricity distribution grid.
• Photovoltaic Installation 1 MW ground-mounted photovoltaic plant supplying renewable electricity to RES operations and the Italian grid, reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 1,090 kg/year.
• Non-Hazardous Waste Landfill Non-hazardous waste landfill in the Tufo Colonoco area (Isernia) with 250+ tonnes per cell capacity, providing disposal services compliant with Legislative Decree No. 36/2003 for municipalities and waste management companies.
• Pyrolysis Plant Thermochemical decomposition plant under construction in Pettoranello del Molise that converts non-recyclable plastic fractions into pyrolytic oil for chemical industry customers under long-term offtake (including Shell Chemicals Europe B.V.), reducing fossil resource reliance.
• Green Hydrogen Plant 1 MW electrolyser-based green hydrogen production plant integrated with 1.95 MW photovoltaic and biological fraction gasification, producing approximately 150 tonnes/year of green hydrogen for the Smaltimenti Sud waste collection fleet and other sustainable transport customers.
• Demolition Plant Automated vehicle demolition facility under development as part of the Circular Economy Hub, providing recovery, reuse, and recycling of end-of-life vehicle materials for industrial and public-sector customers.
• Testing and Characterization Laboratories Advanced material analysis services including FT/IR spectroscopy, DSC, tensile testing (Instron), melt flow rate (ISO 1133), moisture analysis, and density determination (ISO 1183) for industrial customers developing recycled materials and circular products.
• Polymeres Research and Development Center 18,000 sqm R&D facility in Pozzilli providing research, development, and consulting services for circular economy initiatives, including recycled PET to textile fiber development, for industrial customers seeking sustainable material innovations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,300 tonnes/year plastic sorting capacity with potential expansion to 80,000 tonnes
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Shell Chemicals Europe B.V.flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2025Long-term strategic agreement for sale of pyrolytic oil produced from chemical recycling of plastic waste at RES's new pyrolysis plant in Pettoranello del Molise. Shell purchases the complete pyrolytic oil output for use in chemical industry production of new polymers from renewable sources.
• BlueAlpcoreTechnology or Integration · 8 May 2024Partnership for construction of advanced chemical recycling plant using BlueAlp's proprietary technology for converting non-recyclable plastics into valuable raw materials through advanced conversion processes.
• RES – Energia in ComuneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2024Community energy project partnership aimed at developing local circular economy initiatives and sustainable energy solutions for the Molise region.
• University of MoliseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 July 2023RES funds two PhD research scholarships at University of Molise supporting research in circular economy and sustainable waste management technologies.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Plastic Energy: Operates plastic-to-feedstock pyrolysis plants converting mixed plastic waste into oils used as feedstock by petrochemical producers. Closest direct comparison to RES's Shell-backed pyrolysis platform, both utilizing advanced (non-mechanical) recycling of post-consumer plastics.
• Mura Technology: UK-based developer of supercritical-plastic-to-feedstock chemical recycling technology, supplied via licensing to petrochemical producers. Compares to RES on advanced plastic recycling output stream and oil-based offtake economics.
• Aquafil: Italian producer of ECONYL regenerated nylon and recycled polymers, including a textile-fiber-to-fiber closed loop. Closely comparable to RES's stated ambition to move from recycled flakes to recycled textile fibers via the Polymeres R&D center.
• Sirmax: Italian manufacturer of recycled-polymer compounds serving automotive, appliance, and consumer goods manufacturers. Directly comparable to RES's recycled polymer output (rPET, HDPE, PP) sold to industrial customers.

Broad incumbents

• Hera Group: Major Italian multi-utility with one of the country's largest integrated waste management arms serving municipalities and industrial customers. Comparable customer base and integrated services model to RES, though at substantially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Iren: Italian utility group with substantial waste management, recycling, and circular economy operations across multiple regions. Comparable Italian integrated waste and materials recovery platform, but operates at multi-region scale where RES is Molise-concentrated.
• Suez: Global waste management and water services operator with extensive materials recovery, composting, and resource recovery infrastructure. Comparable end-to-end waste-to-resource platform, though at much larger scale and broader geographic exposure.
• Veolia: Global leader in waste management with recycling, composting, energy recovery, and circular-economy services across Europe. Comparable integrated waste valorization platform, with substantially larger geographic and capacity footprint than RES.

Emerging players

• Eastman Chemical Company: US specialty chemicals company with a molecular recycling program (Carbon Renewal Technology) targeting hard-to-recycle plastics back into monomer feedstocks. Comparable advanced (non-mechanical) recycling ambition and output, though RES operates in a different geographic context.

Others

• BASF: German chemicals giant whose ChemCycling program is a major offtaker of pyrolysis oil from advanced plastic recyclers. Comparable as an ecosystem participant and indirect counterpart to RES's Shell-backed pyrolytic oil model, but operates as a buyer enabler rather than recycler.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/recuperoetico
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/res-recupero-etico-sostenibile
• Facebookfacebook.com/RES.RecuperoEticoSostenibile

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Recupero Etico Sostenibile