What Circulus does

Circulus B.V. is a Dutch regional public service company (overheidsbedrijf) headquartered in Apeldoorn that delivers waste management, recycling, and public space services to 13 municipalities in the Gelderland and Overijssel regions, serving more than 565,000 residents. The company originated from the 2014 merger of Circulus B.V. (Apeldoorn) and Berkel Milieu N.V. (Zutphen) and operates across seven locations including four Recyclepleinen (recycling yards in Apeldoorn, Deventer, Vaassen, and Zutphen) plus wholly-owned subsidiaries Cambio (Deventer), Circulus Buitenruimte (Lochem), Stilema (Epe), and the newly opened Circulair Ambachtscentrum (Apeldoorn, July 2025). Roughly 900 people are employed, with approximately half engaged through social employment or social activation schemes; Circulus holds PSO-trede 3 certification recognizing it as a social employer.

The core operating platform combines a household at-home collection network (GFT, PMD, residual, paper) with weighbridge-based recycling yards, the milieupas (environmental pass) tied to each address for access control and free-allowance tracking, and the diftar (differentiated tariff) pay-as-you-throw billing system. Residents interact through the Mijn Circulus web portal, an iOS/Android mobile app, WhatsApp, and phone. Specialized commercial services include the CleanWise school program, event waste collection, pest control, and graffiti removal. The technology stack is primarily conventional — web/mobile apps, container mapping, and digital waste calendars — with no AI/ML components disclosed. Operations include electronics disassembly (700+ tons of e-waste per week), textile, wood, bicycle, and assembly workshops that produce finished goods from recovered materials and serve as social employment placements.

The business model is anchored on long-term municipal service contracts, with the 11-13 municipalities acting as both shareholders and clients; the company explicitly states that financial profit is not its objective, prioritizing environmental and societal returns. Revenue is generated through three additional streams beyond contracts: annual diftar waste levies (fixed + variable components), per-10-kg Recycleplein disposal fees (€0.35–€2.60 depending on waste type and municipality), and fees for commercial services. Strategic positioning is reinforced through participation in the European Interreg NWE Project E6 (2023-2027, €8.15M budget, 20 partners across 5 countries) targeting e-waste reduction, and through a retail reuse partnership with 2Switch launched in Duiven in September 2025.

Name

Circulus

Legal name

Circulus B.V.

Website

https://circulus.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Circulus is a Dutch government-owned regional service company delivering waste management, recycling, public space maintenance, and social employment programs across 13 municipalities and 565,000+ residents in Gelderland and Overijssel, operating recycling yards, the Mijn Circulus digital portal, and circular craft workshops.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Apeldoorn

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Municipal service contracts (overheidsopdrachten): Circulus is a regional public service company (overheidsbedrijf) owned by 11 municipalities. Revenue is derived from service contracts with these municipalities for waste and materials management and public space management. Municipalities are shareholders; financial profit is not the goal — environmental and societal profit is.
2. Diftar waste levies (afvalstoffenheffing): In diftar municipalities, households pay an annual waste levy consisting of a fixed component and a variable component based on the number of residual waste container empties. This variable fee incentivizes waste separation.
3. Recycleplein fees (pay-per-kg waste disposal): Households pay per-kilogram fees for certain waste types at recycling yards (Recyclepleinen), ranging from €0.35 to €2.60 per 10 kg depending on waste type and municipality. Fees are charged via the milieupas system.
4. Commercial services (businesses, events, schools): Circulus charges businesses, educational institutions, and event organizers for specialized services including event waste collection, pest control, graffiti removal, and the CleanWise educational program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Circulus is a regional government-owned service company delivering waste management, recycling, and public space services to 13 Dutch municipalities and over 565,000 residents. The company runs four Recyclepleinen (recycling centers) where households and businesses drop off sorted waste, provides curbside collection of GFT, PMD, paper, and residual waste, and operates a milieupas-based diftar (pay-as-you-throw) pricing system. In addition to waste services, Circulus integrates social employment workshops in wood, textiles, electronics, and bicycle repair to provide vocational training for people with distance to the labor market.

Product overview

Circulus is a sustainable municipal services company (duurzaam dienstenbedrijf) providing waste and materials management plus public space services across 13 municipalities in the Netherlands. The core offering consists of household and business waste collection, a network of Recyclepleinen (recycling centers), and the Mijn Circulus customer portal/app for scheduling and information access. The portfolio includes specialized services for businesses and schools such as CleanWise (school waste separation education), event waste collection, graffiti removal, and pest control. The company operates a Social division (Circulus Sociaal) with multiple vocational workshops (wood, textiles, bicycles, electronics, assembly, laundry) providing work placements for people with barriers to employment. An initiative called Project E6 focuses on electronic waste reduction through extended product lifetimes. The recently opened Circulair Ambachtscentrum in Apeldoorn serves as a circular craft and reuse center combining environmental and social objectives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 1651 old electronic devices collected from 10 primary schools in Apeldoorn during the 2024 E-waste Race, with 59 devices directed to Foenix for reuse or repair.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 2SwitchcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 September 2025Partnership with 2Switch to open a Circulus x 2Switch kringloopwinkel (second-hand shop) in Duiven, launched September 2025. The shop offers reusable goods from Circulus's social employment streams.
• ADEME (Agence de la transition écologique)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025French environmental agency whose representative Anne-Charlotte Bonjean delivered a keynote at the E6 partners meeting in Nevers on the Right to Repair movement, repair accessibility, and the French repairability index system.
• Saxion HogeschoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2023Saxion University of Applied Sciences serves as the lead partner for Project E6 (2023–2027), a multi-year European Interreg NWE project targeting e-waste reduction. Saxion coordinates 20 European partners across 5 countries and leads the RRR (Recycling, Repair, Renovation) ecosystem approach.
• Foenix Kringloop en Re-integratiecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2023Foenix is a key partner in Project E6, operating the circular craft centre adjacent to Circulus's Recycleplein in Apeldoorn. E-waste collected at the recycling yard is directed to Foenix for reuse or repair. Foenix also operates second-hand goods shops. Collaboration enables devices to get a 'second life' before recycling.
• Gemeente ApeldoorncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2023Gemeente Apeldoorn is a municipal shareholder of Circulus and a partner in Project E6. The municipality facilitates the e-waste collection improvement at Circulus's Recycleplein and supports awareness campaigns for residents. Alderman Danny Huizer attended the E6 project launch in April 2024.
• Gemeente Den HaagminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023One of 20 European partners in Project E6, representing one of the 6 pilot regions in the Netherlands (alongside Apeldoorn).
• Maakbaar Leuven vzwminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Belgian partner in Project E6 representing the Leuven pilot region in Belgium, contributing to the European RRR ecosystem network.
• Stichting OPEN / WeCyclecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Stichting OPEN is the organization behind the national 'Doe Maar Apart!' campaign for separate disposal of batteries and electrical equipment. Circulus is a participant. WeCycle is the umbrella organization managing packaging waste collection in the Netherlands.
• European Regions Network for the Application of Communications Technology (ERNACT)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023European network partner in Project E6, contributing expertise in communications technology for the circular economy ecosystem.
• Institut für Betriebsführung im deutschen Handwerksinstitut e.V. (ifb)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023German research institute partner in Project E6 representing Germany in the Aachen pilot region, contributing to the RRR ecosystem approach.
• Volkswirtschaftliches Institut für Mittelstand und Handwerk an der Universität Göttingen e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023German research institute at the University of Göttingen, partner in Project E6.
• Stadt Aachen / Aachener StadtbetriebminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023City of Aachen and its municipal operations company, partner in Project E6 representing the German pilot region.
• Údarás na Gaeltachta / Comhairle Ceantar na nOileán CTRminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Irish regional development authority and island council, partners in Project E6 representing Ireland in the European consortium.
• Vzw ViTeSminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Belgian partner in Project E6 contributing to the circular economy ecosystem.
• Repair&Share vzwminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Belgian partner in Project E6 focused on repair and sharing of electronic equipment, contributing to the RRR ecosystem.
• Syndicat Mixte Ouvert Nièvre numérique / Nevers AgglomérationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023French local authority and metropolitan area partner in Project E6, hosting the 2025 E6 partners meeting in Nevers. France is the sixth pilot region in the project.
• Sociale werkvoorzieningsbedrijven (various)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCirculus has established cooperative arrangements with various social employment companies (sociale werkvoorzieningsbedrijven) across its service area, integrating them into waste sorting, collection, and reuse operations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Renewi: Renewi (formerly Van Gansewinkel) is a Netherlands- and Belgium-focused waste and recycling company operating collection, sorting, and recycling infrastructure at similar municipal scale. Direct peer in regulated household waste collection and recycling-yard operations across Dutch municipalities.
• HVC: HVC is a Dutch municipal waste company owned by over 50 municipalities in North Holland, Flevoland, Zuid-Holland and Friesland. Like Circulus, it is owned by its shareholder municipalities and provides household waste collection, recycling, and energy-from-waste services.
• Attero: Attero is one of the largest waste processors in the Netherlands, operating recycling and processing facilities across multiple provinces. Comparable to Circulus in municipal waste processing, recycling infrastructure, and circular economy services.
• Meerlanden: Meerlanden is a regional waste and recycling company in the Haarlemmermeer area, owned by the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. Direct peer in municipal-owned waste collection, recycling-yard operation, and diftar-like household waste services.
• Indaver: Indaver is a Belgian-Dutch industrial waste and recycling company operating hazardous and complex waste processing facilities in the Benelux. Comparable in circular-economy processing infrastructure and industrial waste management capability.
• Avalex: Avalex is a Dutch municipal waste company jointly owned by several municipalities in South Holland (including Delft), operating household waste collection, recycling yards, and public space services — directly comparable in structure and scope to Circulus.

Broad incumbents

• Veolia Environnement: Veolia is a global environmental services giant operating waste management, water, and energy services across Europe. Broad incumbent competitor in municipal waste collection and recycling; competes for municipal concessions across the Netherlands.
• SUEZ: SUEZ is a global environmental services group with extensive waste and recycling operations across Europe. A broad incumbent peer operating at much larger scale but competing for similar municipal and commercial waste contracts.

Emerging players

• PreZero: PreZero is the recycling and environmental services arm of the Schwarz Group, rapidly expanding across Europe in sorting, recycling, and circular services. An emerging pan-European player with overlapping circular economy focus.

Others

• Stichting OPEN / WeCycle: Stichting OPEN is the Dutch producer responsibility organization managing e-waste and battery collection, of which Circulus is a participant. Included as an ecosystem/shaping-partner rather than a direct competitor; sets the regulatory framework Circulus operates within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tweet_circulus
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpKHFL3vw5d-ItOoDsGHtaA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Circulus.welkom
• Instagraminstagram.com/circulusbv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/circulus-bv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Circulus