Kuusakoski Recycling
Kuusakoski Recycling is a Finnish family-owned industrial recycler founded in 1914, processing over 1.17 million tonnes of metals, electronics, and composite waste annually across Finland, Sweden, Estonia, and the UK. It serves enterprise customers in manufacturing, metals, energy, and electronics with integrated collection, processing, and recycled raw material sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1914
- HeadquartersEspoo, Finland
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Kuusakoski Recycling does
Kuusakoski Recycling is a Finnish family-owned industrial recycling company founded in 1914 and headquartered in Espoo, Finland. It operates across Finland (19 service points), Sweden (13 facilities), Estonia, and the United Kingdom, processing over 1.17 million tonnes of recyclable materials annually with a 96.8% material utilization rate. The company collects, processes, and upgrades waste materials — primarily metals (ferrous, non-ferrous, aluminum, copper, stainless steel), electronics, composites, and end-of-life industrial assets — and sells the resulting raw materials to industrial customers worldwide.
The company's technology stack centers on mechanical processing, shredding, magnetic separation, and sensor-based sorting systems, supported by an in-house Research Centre (established 2014, ISO/IEC 17025 accredited) that performs ICP-OES metal analysis and fuel testing. Proprietary technologies include the Smart Battery Sensor (detecting lithium-ion battery failure up to 90 minutes before thermal runaway), a carbon-free steel pre-treatment process at the Veitsiluoto plant, composite shredding technology at Hyvinkää, and a mechanical pretreatment method for Solid Oxide Cell stack recycling developed with VTT and Elcogen.
Kuusakoski generates revenue through multiple streams: sale of recycled raw materials to industrial buyers (Outokumpu, Boliden, Gränges, Stora Enso), material processing services (shredding, separation, smelting), logistics services, IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) for secure electronics recycling and data destruction, sustainability consulting and CO2 reporting, and hardware sales of the Smart Battery Sensor. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales serving B2B customers across manufacturing, mining/metals, electronics, automotive, construction, energy, and public sectors, with channel expansion through wholly owned subsidiaries (SWEEEP Kuusakoski in the UK, Kivikolmio) and joint ventures (Revanssi, Suomen Erityisjäte, RecTec Engineering). Customer relationships are notably long-tenured, with multiple 20-25 year partnerships, and the company reports annual revenue above EUR 600 million in the most recently disclosed fiscal year.
Kuusakoski Recycling firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kuusakoski Recycling
- Legal name
- Kuusakoski Oy
- Website
- https://kuusakoski.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1914
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Kuusakoski Recycling is a Finnish family-owned industrial recycler founded in 1914, processing over 1.17 million tonnes of metals, electronics, and composite waste annually across Finland, Sweden, Estonia, and the UK. It serves enterprise customers in manufacturing, metals, energy, and electronics with integrated collection, processing, and recycled raw material sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kuusakoski Recycling industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Metal Recycling Services
- NAICS
- Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers (42393), Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562211), Solid Waste Collection (562111)
- SIC
- Hazardous Waste Management (4955), Refuse Systems (4953)
- akta.pro primary industry
- E-Waste & Electronics Metal Recovery (ITAD, Circuit Boards, Precious Metal Recovery) (IMAKAMAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Battery Recycling & Management (Lithium-ion, Lead-acid) (BPALAIAF), Lithium-ion Battery Recycling (Mechanical, Hydro, Direct Recycling) (EUAIAIAF), E-Waste (WEEE) Collection, Refurbishment & Recycling (IMAIAFAH)
Keywords
Where Kuusakoski Recycling is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Espoo
- HQ country
- Finland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
Kuusakoski Recycling business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Sale of Recycled Raw Materials: Collecting, processing and upgrading waste materials into new raw materials (metals, aluminum, copper, etc.) and selling them to customers worldwide. The company produced various raw materials in quantities ranging from small deliveries to large volumes.
- Material Processing Services: Effortless recycling solutions for industrial needs, including shredding, separation, smelting and material upgrading services.
- Logistics Services: Logistics solutions that meet customers' needs, regardless of the material collected. Transport services for collecting and delivering recyclable materials.
- ITAD Services: IT Asset Disposition - secure recycling services of electronics and reuse of IT equipment, including data destruction services.
- Sustainability Services: Sustainability consulting and reporting services, including CO2 calculations for customers.
- Smart Battery Sensor: Sale of battery failure detection sensors and related monitoring services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Kuusakoski Recycling product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kuusakoski Recycling collects, processes, and upgrades waste materials — primarily ferrous and non-ferrous metals, electronics, composites, and end-of-life vehicles — into new raw materials sold to industrial customers worldwide. The company also offers IT asset disposition (ITAD) with secure data destruction, accredited laboratory analysis and research services, recycling logistics, sustainability consulting, and the proprietary Smart Battery Sensor (SBS) for early lithium-ion battery failure detection.
Product overview
Kuusakoski Recycling is a comprehensive recycling services company offering an integrated portfolio of material recovery and processing solutions. The core offering includes material processing, logistics, and sale of recycled raw materials, supported by specialized services such as ITAD (IT Asset Disposition) for secure electronics recycling, analysis and research capabilities through an accredited laboratory, and sustainability consulting. The company operates several notable facilities including the Smart Battery Sensor (SBS) for battery failure detection, the carbon-free steel recycling plant in Veitsiluoto, a composite treatment plant in Hyvinkää, and wholly-owned subsidiary SWEEEP Kuusakoski for WEEE recycling in the UK. The company serves industrial, commercial, and public sector customers across Finland, Sweden, Estonia, and the UK with operations spanning metals, electronics, composites, and construction materials.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Smart Battery Sensor (SBS): Detects critical battery failure before heat or smoke by sensing tiny amounts of battery specific gases. Can detect internal battery failure up to 90 minutes before heat or smoke.
- MIELILAVA
Products and services
- Smart Battery Sensor (SBS) An intelligent sensor system that detects critical lithium-ion battery failure up to 90 minutes before heat or smoke by sensing battery-specific gases, helping prevent fires.
- Material Processing
Quantifiable outcome
- 96.8% material utilization rate
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Kuusakoski Recycling
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Kuusakoski Recycling technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
Kuusakoski Recycling partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SWEEEP KuusakoskicoreUK-based WEEE recycling company. Kuusakoski acquired the remaining 39% shareholding, making SWEEEP Kuusakoski a wholly owned subsidiary. Processes approximately 25% of mixed WEEE generated in the UK. Partnership began in 2010. Barry Walker continues as CEO. Founders Patrick and Pamela Watts retired from operational roles.
- VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland)coreCollaborative research partner in Solid Oxide Cell (SOC) stack recycling study. Published in peer-reviewed journal Minerals Engineering. Demonstrated that mechanical pretreatment can recover over 90% of electrode material without chemical processes.
- ElcogencoreSOC stack manufacturer providing materials for recycling research. Study used Elcogen's SOC stacks for dismantling, crushing, and magnetic separation processing. Partnership exploring closed-loop system potential for electrode materials.
- OutokumpucoreGlobal leader of sustainable stainless steel. Customer of Kuusakoski's carbon-free steel recycling plant in Veitsiluoto. Partnership enables Outokumpu to use cleaner recycled steel and more precise carbon footprint calculations for their Tornio steel mill.
- FinnsementticoreEnd-user partner in KiMuRa project. Receives crushed composite material from Kuusakoski for use in cement production. The composite waste is co-processed where fibres substitute limestone and polymers substitute fossil fuel, significantly reducing CO2 emissions.
- KiMuRa Project ConsortiumcoreFinnish Plastics Industries Federation, Ministry of the Environment, and seven composite industry companies (Ekin Muovi Oy, Exel Composites Oyj, Fenix Marin Oy, Muovilami Oy, Muovityö Hiltunen Oy, NCE Oy, Patria Aerostructures Oy) plus Finnboat ry and Finnish Wind Power Association. Award-winning project developing recycling solutions for industrial composite waste.
- Revanssi OycoreJoint venture (51% Kuusakoski, 49% Rosk'n Roll Oy Ab) providing comprehensive waste management and recycling services for corporate customers. Founded 2017.
- Suomen Erityisjäte OyminorJoint venture (49% Kuusakoski, 51% Loimi-Hämeen Jätehuolto Oy) specializing in waste combustion bottom ash, contaminated materials, and hazardous waste handling, recycling, and disposal. Founded 2004.
- Kivikolmio Oyminor100% owned subsidiary specializing in concrete, brick, and asphalt waste recycling and crushing. Founded 1992.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kuusakoski Recycling competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Stena Recycling: Swedish-based recycler and Kuusakoski's closest direct competitor in the Nordics. Operates a comparable network of metal, electronics, and WEEE recycling facilities across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and selected international markets, serving similar industrial customers.
- Boliden: Swedish mining and metals company with significant internal recycling of secondary raw materials, including copper, lead, and precious metals. Comparable in multimetal recovery technology and customer overlap, though vertically integrated upstream.
- Renewi: European waste-to-product company operating recycling sites for metals, WEEE, and specialist waste streams. Comparable in serving industrial customers with regulated collection and processing across multiple Northern European geographies.
Broad incumbents
- Umicore: Belgian materials technology and recycling group with extensive precious metals and battery materials recovery operations. Broader scope across catalysis and battery materials, but overlaps in non-ferrous metals and electronics recycling.
- Veolia Environmental Services: Global environmental services incumbent offering hazardous waste, metal recovery, and WEEE collection at scale. Overlaps in industrial waste streams but operates a much broader portfolio than Kuusakoski's recycling-focused model.
- Hydro Extrusions (Hydro Circal): Norwegian aluminum producer with Hydro Circal recycled aluminum product line. Comparable in low-carbon recycled metals offering for industrial customers, though operating upstream rather than as scrap collector.
- Sims Limited: Global metal recycling and ITAD operator listed in Australia, with comparable activities in ferrous, non-ferrous, and electronics recycling. Similar end-market exposure to industrial customers and downstream metal re-rollers.
Emerging players
- Duesenfeld: German specialist in lithium-ion battery recycling using mechanical-hydrometallurgical processes. Direct overlap with Kuusakoski's battery-related activities including the SOC stack recycling method and Smart Battery Sensor.
- Li-Cycle: North American-focused lithium-ion battery recycler developing hydrometallurgical "spoke-and-hub" network. Overlaps with Kuusakoski's battery ambitions (SBS, SOC recycling) but operates in a different geography and battery-only focus.
Others
- Outokumpu: Global stainless steel leader and anchor customer for Kuusakoski's Veitsiluoto carbon-free recycled steel. While not a direct competitor, Outokumpu is both customer and ecosystem peer in the low-carbon recycled steel value chain.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kuusakoski Recycling social profiles
Digital presenceKuusakoski Recycling compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Kuusakoski Recycling financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kuusakoski Recycling leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Kuusakoski Recycling subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
Kuusakoski Recycling funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kuusakoski Recycling M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kuusakoski Recycling
What does Kuusakoski Recycling do?
Kuusakoski Recycling collects, processes, and upgrades waste materials — primarily ferrous and non-ferrous metals, electronics, composites, and end-of-life vehicles — into new raw materials sold to industrial customers worldwide. The company also offers IT asset disposition (ITAD) with secure data destruction, accredited laboratory analysis and research services, recycling logistics, sustainability consulting, and the proprietary Smart Battery Sensor (SBS) for early lithium-ion battery failure detection.
Is Kuusakoski Recycling a public or private company?
Kuusakoski Recycling is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Kuusakoski Recycling founded?
Kuusakoski Recycling was founded in 1914. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Kuusakoski Recycling based?
Kuusakoski Recycling is headquartered in Espoo, Finland, in the Europe region.
How does Kuusakoski Recycling make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Sale of Recycled Raw Materials are the primary driver. The others are material Processing Services, logistics Services, ITAD Services, sustainability Services and smart Battery Sensor.
Who are Kuusakoski Recycling's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Stena Recycling, Boliden and Renewi. Broad incumbents are Umicore, Veolia Environmental Services, Hydro Extrusions (Hydro Circal) and Sims Limited. Emerging players are Duesenfeld and Li-Cycle. Outokumpu is listed as an others.
Does Kuusakoski Recycling have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kuusakoski Recycling.
What industry is Kuusakoski Recycling in?
Kuusakoski Recycling's product category is Metal Recycling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKAMAG, E-Waste & Electronics Metal Recovery (ITAD, Circuit Boards, Precious Metal Recovery), with a secondary code of BPALAIAF, Battery Recycling & Management (Lithium-ion, Lead-acid). Its NAICS code is 562920 and its SIC code is 4955.