Hensel Recycling
Hensel Recycling is a German precious-metal recycler recovering platinum-group metals, gold, and silver from automotive catalytic converters, e-scrap, industrial catalysts, and fuel cells for automotive dismantlers, electronics recyclers, industrial customers, and hydrogen-tech firms across 10+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersAschaffenburg, Germany
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Hensel Recycling firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hensel Recycling
- Legal name
- Hensel Recycling GmbH
- Website
- https://hensel-recycling.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Hensel Recycling is a German precious-metal recycler recovering platinum-group metals, gold, and silver from automotive catalytic converters, e-scrap, industrial catalysts, and fuel cells for automotive dismantlers, electronics recyclers, industrial customers, and hydrogen-tech firms across 10+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hensel Recycling industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Precious Metal Recycling Services
- NAICS
- Secondary Smelting, Refining, and Alloying of Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum) (331492)
- SIC
- Primary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3330), Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Catalytic Converter Recycling & Precious Metals Recovery (PGM) (EUAIAJAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Catalyst & Precious Metal Scrap Recycling (Auto Catalysts, Refinery/Petrochemical Catalysts) (IMAKAMAI), Precious & Specialty Metal Recovery (Smelting, Refining, Hydrometallurgy) (EUAIAIAD), E-Waste & Electronics Metal Recovery (ITAD, Circuit Boards, Precious Metal Recovery) (IMAKAMAG), Catalyst Recovery, Regeneration & Reclamation Services (IMAEAIAM)
Keywords
Where Hensel Recycling is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Aschaffenburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices11 records
Markets served
Hensel Recycling business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Purchase and Refining of Precious Metal-Bearing Materials: Hensel Recycling purchases used catalytic converters, electronic scrap, industrial catalysts, fuel cells, and other materials containing precious metals (platinum, palladium, gold, silver, rhodium). The company refines these materials and retains value through the difference between purchase cost and recovered precious metal value. Services include toll refining ( Umarbeitung) where customers retain ownership of the refined metals, and direct purchase where Hensel acquires the material outright.
- Precious Metal Management Services: Advisory and operational services helping customers manage their precious metal recovery and trading activities, including market price information (real-time and historical platinum, palladium, gold, silver prices), settlement processing, and logistics coordination.
- Fast Settlement (Schnellabrechnung): Expedited payment processing for customers who need rapid liquidity, providing faster settlement times for catalytic converter and other material sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Quote-based pricing for all services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Hensel Recycling product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hensel Recycling purchases and refines precious metal-bearing materials — primarily automotive catalytic converters, diesel particulate filters, electronic scrap, truck and industrial catalysts, fuel cells/electrolysers, and spark plugs — to recover platinum, palladium, rhodium, gold, and silver. Service models include direct purchase, toll refining (Umarbeitung) where customers retain ownership of recovered metals, fast settlement (Schnellabrechnung) for rapid liquidity, and end-to-end precious metal management (Edelmetallmanagement).
Product overview
Hensel Recycling is a precious metal recycling company operating for 25 years, specializing in the recovery of precious metals (platinum, palladium, gold, silver) from end-of-life materials. The company operates a platform of recycling services centered around automotive catalytic converters (its core competency), supplemented by electronic scrap, truck catalytic converters, industrial catalytic converters, fuel cells/electrolysers, and spark plugs. Supporting services include laboratory analytics (via IDO-Lab GmbH), precious metal price tracking, and a customer portal. The offering is a portfolio of specialized recycling services rather than a unified software product.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Auto Catalytic Converters Recycling (Autokatalysatoren) Recovery of precious metals (platinum, palladium, rhodium) from end-of-life automotive catalytic converters and diesel particulate filters. Offered as purchase, toll refining, fast settlement, and precious metal management. Targets automotive recyclers and dismantlers.
- Electronic Scrap Recycling (Elektronikschrott) Recycling of electronic components and e-waste to recover precious metals in an economically viable and resource-conserving manner, including purchase and toll refining. Targets electronics recyclers and e-waste processors.
- Truck Catalytic Converters Recycling (LKW-Katalysatoren) Precious metal recovery from truck and commercial vehicle catalytic converters, with purchase, toll refining, and fast settlement options. Targets commercial vehicle recyclers and dismantlers.
- Industrial Catalytic Converters Recycling (Industriekatalysatoren) Recovery of precious metals from industrial catalytic converters used in chemical, petrochemical, and manufacturing processes, with purchase and toll refining options. Targets industrial manufacturers and processors.
- Fuel Cell & Electrolyser Recycling (Brennstoffzellen) Recycling solutions for hydrogen technology, focusing on critical raw material recovery (platinum group metals) from fuel cells and electrolysers. Targets hydrogen technology manufacturers and operators.
- Spark Plug Recycling (Zündkerzen) Recycling of spark plugs to recover valuable precious metals while contributing to environmental protection.
- Precious Metal Analytics (Edelmetall-Analytik) In-house laboratory analysis services for accurate quantification and verification of precious metal content in recyclable materials, operated through subsidiary IDO-Lab GmbH. Provides precision analytics for internal and external use.
- Precious Metal Price Information (Edelmetallpreise) Real-time and historical price data for platinum, palladium, gold, and silver, publicly available on the website to support market transparency for customers and suppliers.
- Kabi Mobile Customer Portal Online customer portal (web and iOS/Android mobile app) enabling registered customers to submit material data, track transactions, and manage settlements and account information.
Companies that use Hensel Recycling
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Hensel Recycling technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Hensel Recycling partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- MastermeltminorHensel Recycling co-exhibits with Mastermelt at the Hydrogen Technology Expo Europe 2026 in Hamburg (October 20-22, 2026, Booth 6E59). The joint exhibition focuses on presenting recycling solutions for hydrogen technologies, emphasizing sustainability and resource efficiency in the H2 value chain. This partnership enables both companies to present a unified front in the emerging hydrogen technology recycling market.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Hensel Recycling competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Johnson Matthey: UK-based precious metals and catalyst specialist with significant autocatalyst refining and recycling operations. Overlaps Hensel's core catalytic converter and industrial catalyst recycling, though Johnson Matthey is much larger and more diversified into catalyst manufacturing.
- Umicore: Belgian materials technology group with a major precious metals recycling business covering automotive catalysts, industrial catalysts, and e-scrap. Competes with Hensel for the same PGM-bearing feedstock but also sells fabricated catalyst products, giving it an integrated offering.
- Heraeus Precious Metals: Global precious metals group offering refining, trading, and fabricated PGM products. Directly overlaps Hensel's autocatalyst refining and recycling activities but at vastly larger scale, with vertically integrated downstream capabilities Hensel does not have.
- BASF Catalysts: Major chemical company with a precious metal and catalyst recycling business serving automotive and industrial customers. Competes with Hensel for spent industrial catalyst feedstock and has substantially greater refining capacity and global reach.
Emerging players
- Aurubis: European multi-metal recycler primarily focused on copper but increasingly active in precious metal recovery from complex feedstocks including e-scrap. An emerging player in the same materials recovery ecosystem Hensel serves, though with different primary metals focus.
Direct peers
- Metalor Technologies: Swiss precious metals refiner offering PGM and gold/silver recovery services from industrial and e-scrap streams. Directly comparable to Hensel's e-scrap and industrial catalyst recycling lines, particularly for European electronics recyclers.
- Duesmann: Joint-venture partner visible in Hensel's North America LinkedIn entity ('Duesmann & Hensel Recycling North America Inc.'), indicating Duesmann operates as a closely allied recycling firm in the autocatalyst and precious metals space alongside Hensel.
- Mastermelt: UK-based precious metal refiner specializing in autocatalyst and PGM recycling. Hensel co-exhibits with Mastermelt at Hydrogen Technology Expo Europe 2026, indicating overlapping customer bases, similar toll refining services, and direct competition for European catalytic converter feedstock.
Regional players
- Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo: Japanese precious metals refiner and fabricator with autocatalyst recycling capabilities. Comparable in refining technology to Hensel but focused primarily on the Japanese and broader Asian market rather than Europe.
- SAFINA: Czech-based precious metals refiner recovering PGMs, silver, and gold from autocatalysts, industrial catalysts, and e-scrap. Comparable to Hensel in service offering and customer segments, but primarily serving Central and Eastern European markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hensel Recycling social profiles
Digital presenceHensel Recycling financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hensel Recycling leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Hensel Recycling subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Hensel Recycling funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hensel 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 Hensel Recycling
What does Hensel Recycling do?
Hensel Recycling purchases and refines precious metal-bearing materials — primarily automotive catalytic converters, diesel particulate filters, electronic scrap, truck and industrial catalysts, fuel cells/electrolysers, and spark plugs — to recover platinum, palladium, rhodium, gold, and silver. Service models include direct purchase, toll refining (Umarbeitung) where customers retain ownership of recovered metals, fast settlement (Schnellabrechnung) for rapid liquidity, and end-to-end precious metal management (Edelmetallmanagement).
Is Hensel Recycling a public or private company?
Hensel Recycling is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Hensel Recycling founded?
Hensel Recycling was founded in 2001. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Hensel Recycling based?
Hensel Recycling is headquartered in Aschaffenburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Hensel Recycling make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Purchase and Refining of Precious Metal-Bearing Materials are the primary driver. The others are precious Metal Management Services and fast Settlement (Schnellabrechnung).
Who are Hensel Recycling's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Johnson Matthey, Umicore, Heraeus Precious Metals and BASF Catalysts. Aurubis is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Metalor Technologies, Duesmann and Mastermelt. Regional players are Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo and SAFINA.
Does Hensel Recycling have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hensel Recycling.
What industry is Hensel Recycling in?
Hensel Recycling's product category is Precious Metal Recycling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIAJAG, Catalytic Converter Recycling & Precious Metals Recovery (PGM), with a secondary code of IMAKAMAI, Catalyst & Precious Metal Scrap Recycling (Auto Catalysts, Refinery/Petrochemical Catalysts). Its NAICS code is 331492 and its SIC code is 3330.