What RIGK does

RIGK GmbH is a German environmental engineering company founded in 1991 and headquartered in Wiesbaden, with 101–250 employees. It operates a portfolio of plastic packaging take-back and recycling systems serving manufacturers, fillers, distributors, and end consumers across industrial, commercial, and agricultural sectors. Its branded systems include RIGK-SYSTEM, RIGK-G-SYSTEM (hazardous packaging), RIGK-PICKUP, PAMIRA, PAMIRA-BEIZE (seed dressings), ERDE, VerenA, and PRE, covering commercial, industrial, and agricultural packaging streams.

Underlying operations span physical collection, sorting, refinement, certification, and compliance software. Wholly-owned subsidiaries provide specialized capabilities: PlastCert (DAkkS-accredited recycled-content and recycling-process certification), Hannawald Plastik (sorting and refinement), plastship (European plastics sourcing and recycling network), and PACKLIANCE (EU PPWR compliance services). PlastCert received DAkkS accreditation under DIN EN ISO/IEC 17065 in 2025 for RecyClass Recycling Process and Recycled Plastic Traceability.

The business model combines recurring B2B licensing fees for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance under German VerpackG and EU regulations, with fee-based certification, collection, and managed recycling services. Distribution is direct B2B across Germany, Switzerland, Romania, Spain, and Austria, supported by a website, customer portal, RIGK Reporter newsletter, #RIGKWebinarHub series, and trade-show participation (IFAT, PRSE). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated based on packaging volumes and compliance requirements. Jan Bauer serves as Managing Director.

Name

RIGK

Legal name

RIGK GmbH

Website

https://rigk.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

RIGK is a German environmental engineering company that operates plastic packaging take-back, collection, sorting, and certification systems for industrial, commercial, and agricultural producers and fillers across five European countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plastic Packaging Recycling & EPR Compliance Services

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging Recovery & Closed-Loop Programs (Take-Back, Deposit-Return, EPR Support) (IMALAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Used Oil, Lubricants & Industrial Fluids Recovery/Recycling (IMAIAFAM), Hazardous/Restricted Goods Returns (Batteries, Chemicals, DG) (TLAAALAO)

Keywords

• Plastic packaging take-back
• Packaging recycling systems
• Extended Producer Responsibility
• Agricultural plastic recovery
• Recycled content certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Wiesbaden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Packaging Take-back Licensing: Licensing fees for participation in RIGK's take-back systems for plastic packaging, enabling manufacturers and distributors to meet Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations under German and EU packaging regulations
2. Certification Services (PlastCert): Fee-based certification services for recycled content verification and recycling process certification
3. Collection and Recycling Services: Collection and processing of used plastic packaging through various take-back systems including industrial, commercial, and agricultural sectors

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RIGK operates licensed take-back and recycling systems for plastic packaging originating from industry, commerce, and agriculture in Germany and select European markets. The company provides EPR-compliant collection, sorting, and recycling services through multiple branded systems (RIGK-SYSTEM, RIGK-G-SYSTEM, RIGK-PICKUP-SYSTEM, PAMIRA, ERDE), and offers recycled-content certification through its subsidiary PlastCert.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RIGK-SYSTEM: Take-back system for industrial and commercial packaging
• RIGK-G-SYSTEM
• RIGK-PICKUP-SYSTEM
• RIGK-ReUse-SYSTEM
• PAMIRA-SYSTEM
• PAMIRA-BEIZE
• ERDE Recycling
• VerenA-SYSTEM
• PRE-SYSTEM
• PlastCert
• plastship
• PACKLIANCE

Products and services

• RIGK-SYSTEM Licensed take-back system for commercial and industrial plastic packaging used by manufacturers, fillers, distributors, and end consumers in industry and commerce. Enables participants to fulfill Extended Producer Responsibility obligations under German VerpackG.
• RIGK-G-SYSTEM Specialized take-back and recovery system for hazardous-substance plastic packaging, with specific handling, documentation, and compliance requirements distinct from standard commercial packaging.
• RIGK-PICKUP-SYSTEM Pickup-based collection service for used commercial and industrial plastic packaging, providing on-site logistics and retrieval for participating manufacturers, fillers, and end consumers.
• RIGK-ReUse-SYSTEM Reuse-oriented take-back system for packaging, supporting customers in implementing circular and reusable packaging models rather than single-use disposal.
• PAMIRA-SYSTEM Take-back system for agricultural plastic packaging, primarily pesticide containers, operated for the agricultural sector. Celebrated 30 years of product responsibility and cooperation in agriculture.
• PAMIRA-BEIZE Specialized take-back system for seed dressing (Beize) packaging used in the agricultural sector, addressing a specific hazardous-handling subset of crop input packaging.
• VerenA-SYSTEM Take-back system for agricultural packaging, extending RIGK's agricultural recovery coverage to additional crop input packaging streams beyond PAMIRA.
• ERDE Recycling Collection and recycling initiative for agricultural crop plastics (silage film, greenhouse film, irrigation materials) operating in Germany and Switzerland, recycling 37,000+ tonnes of agricultural plastics in 2025.
• PRE-SYSTEM Packaging recovery system for additional plastic packaging streams as part of RIGK's collection portfolio.
• PlastCert Certification Fee-based certification service for recycled content verification and recycling process certification, operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary. DAkkS-accredited under DIN EN ISO/IEC 17065 for RecyClass Recycling Process and Recycled Plastic Traceability.
• plastship GmbH - European Sourcing & Recycling Network Wholly-owned subsidiary operating a European industry platform for recycled plastics procurement and quality assurance, enabling sourcing of recycled-content materials for buyers.
• PACKLIANCE GmbH - PPWR Compliance Implementation Wholly-owned subsidiary supporting customers in secure and legally compliant implementation of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) ahead of August 2026 requirements.
• Werksentsorgungen (On-Site Factory Waste Disposal) On-site factory waste disposal service for plastic processors and producers, providing efficient and sustainable solutions for plant-level plastic waste streams.
• Hannawald Plastik GmbH - Sorting & Refinement Wholly-owned subsidiary providing sorting and refinement services for packaging materials as part of RIGK's integrated recycling solutions.
• Digital PPWR Tool for Konformitätserklärungen Digital compliance tool for EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) conformity declarations, enabling companies to prepare for August 2026 PPWR implementation.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GCR Plastic SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 March 2026Industrial recycling collaboration involving post-consumer packaging from German PAMIRA and GVÖ schemes. The project utilizes emerging technologies in hot washing, sorting, and extrusion to transform complex industrial streams into high-value recycled raw materials with full traceability, aligning with European regulations.
• Hannawald Plastik GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary company providing sorting and refinement services for packaging materials as part of RIGK's integrated recycling solutions.
• plastship GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean sourcing and recycling network for plastics, operated as a subsidiary providing industry platform for recycled plastics procurement and quality assurance.
• PACKLIANCE GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for secure and legally compliant implementation of EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR), including digital PPWR compliance tools for declarations.
• CHI (Compliance Hub International)coreTechnology or IntegrationLaunched first digital PPWR tool for compliance declarations in preparation for August 2026 regulation implementation.
• ERDE Recycling NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network for agricultural plastic recycling, operating in Germany and Switzerland, recycling over 37,000 tonnes of agricultural plastics annually.
• EPRO (European Producers Organisation)minorOthersInternational recycling network participation through EPRO for industry collaboration and best practice sharing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Der Grüne Punkt (Duales System Deutschland / DSD): Germany's largest dual system for packaging take-back under VerpackG, operating nationwide collection and licensing for household and commercial packaging. Directly comparable to RIGK-SYSTEM and RIGK-PICKUP as the dominant domestic EPR competitor.
• Interseroh (ALBA Group): Major German EPR scheme operator within the ALBA Group, providing packaging licensing, recycling, and raw materials trading. Directly competes with RIGK on industrial and commercial packaging licensing and recycled plastics procurement (analogous to plastship).
• Reclay Systems: German-headquartered compliance and EPR services provider offering take-back systems and consulting for packaging, electrical equipment, and batteries. Comparable to RIGK in providing producer responsibility compliance services under German and EU law.
• Landbell Group: European EPR scheme operator providing packaging, WEEE, and battery compliance services across multiple countries. Directly comparable to RIGK International's multi-country EPR offering.

Broad incumbents

• Prezero (Schwarz Group): Integrated environmental services and recycling arm of the Schwarz Group, operating collection, sorting, and recycling across Europe. Overlaps with RIGK on commercial and industrial packaging recovery at much greater scale and capital base.
• Veolia Environmental Services: Global waste management and environmental services major with significant German and European packaging recovery operations. Comparable to RIGK on commercial/industrial and hazardous packaging handling, with much larger scale and geographic reach.

Regional players

• Citeo (formerly Eco-Emballages): France's household packaging EPR scheme, with growing activity in business and industrial packaging. Comparable as a national EPR operator, but primarily serving the French market rather than competing head-to-head with RIGK in Germany.
• Fost Plus: Belgian packaging EPR scheme, comparable in structure to RIGK's systems but focused on the Belgian market. Useful as a regional EPR reference point rather than a direct competitor.
• CONAI / COREPLA: Italian packaging EPR consortium and its plastics stream COREPLA. Comparable model to RIGK's take-back systems, but operating under Italian regulation and not directly competing in RIGK's core German market.

Others

• RecyClass: Industry-led initiative defining recyclability certification schemes for plastic packaging in Europe, the very framework PlastCert is DAkkS-accredited to certify. Adjacent standards-setting body rather than a competitor, but materially shapes RIGK's certification economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 RIGK