Kuusakoski Recycling

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.

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

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

• Metal recycling services
• Electronic waste recycling
• IT asset disposition
• Recycled raw materials
• Battery failure detection

Headquarters

HQ city

Espoo

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Material Processing Services: Effortless recycling solutions for industrial needs, including shredding, separation, smelting and material upgrading services.
3. Logistics Services: Logistics solutions that meet customers' needs, regardless of the material collected. Transport services for collecting and delivering recyclable materials.
4. ITAD Services: IT Asset Disposition - secure recycling services of electronics and reuse of IT equipment, including data destruction services.
5. Sustainability Services: Sustainability consulting and reporting services, including CO2 calculations for customers.
6. Smart Battery Sensor: Sale of battery failure detection sensors and related monitoring services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers10 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SWEEEP KuusakoskicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2026UK-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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaborative 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.
• ElcogencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025SOC 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.
• OutokumpucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Global 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.
• FinnsementticoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022End-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 ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Finnish 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 OycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2017Joint venture (51% Kuusakoski, 49% Rosk'n Roll Oy Ab) providing comprehensive waste management and recycling services for corporate customers. Founded 2017.
• Suomen Erityisjäte OyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2004Joint 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 OyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1992100% owned subsidiary specializing in concrete, brick, and asphalt waste recycling and crushing. Founded 1992.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVXU2S9y7TCQC9djcPK2SVw
• Facebookfacebook.com/kuusakoskirecyclingsverige
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kuusakoski-oy
• Instagraminstagram.com/kuusakoski_suomi

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Kuusakoski Recycling