Hjhansen

What Hjhansen does

HJHansen Recycling Group A/S is a Danish family-owned recycling enterprise founded in 1829 and headquartered in Odense, Denmark. The group operates 31 locations across Denmark and Sweden with more than 250 employees and reported FY2024/2025 revenue of approximately DKK 2.9 billion (EBT of DKK 41 million). Its core activity is the collection, processing, refining, and international sale of ferrous and non-ferrous metal scrap, anchored by a 150 tons/hour shredder and a 400 tons/day refining plant at the Lindø Port of Odense facility, which together account for more than half of Denmark's total shredding capacity. Approximately 98% of processed material is exported, primarily through ten harbor locations and a long-standing maritime partnership with Baltic Shipping Company.

The business operates through specialized sub-brands covering wind turbine decommissioning (HJHansen Wind Decom), transformer dismantling (HJHansen Trafo, achieving up to 98% documented recycling rates), demolition (HJHansen Nedbrydning), raw material recovery from construction waste (HJHansen Råstoffer), vehicle scrapping (HJHansen Bildemontering, over 90% recycling), and consumer-facing scrap yards (Skrotspecialisten, Aarhus Jern og Metal). A unified digital platform, HJH360, provides customers with waste-data tracking, CO2 impact reporting, recycling percentages, and transport ordering, while the proprietary Approved Buyer System (ABS) database captures customer compliance documentation.

Revenue is generated primarily through commodity-style transaction fees tied to London Metal Exchange pricing, supplemented by managed-service contracts (Total Solutions, HJH360), transformer fixed-price buyouts, and container/equipment rentals. The customer base spans industrial manufacturers (e.g., EVAPCO Europe, BJ-GEAR, Energinet), municipalities, demolition and wind-energy operators, private individuals, and international smelters. The company holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications across multiple sites and achieved EcoVadis Silver (69/100) in 2025, declining to Bronze (67/100) in 2026. Recent strategic activity includes the 2025 acquisition of HJM Recycling Køge (75%), 2024 acquisitions of Vesterbro Produkthandel and Kolding harbor facilities from Rimeco, harbor expansions at Aalborg and Køge, and the September 2025 launch of an Electronic Reuse & Recycling facility in Nørre Aaby in partnership with Elretur.

Name

Hjhansen

Legal name

HJHansen Recycling Group A/S

Website

https://hjhansen.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1829

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

HJHansen Recycling Group is a Danish family-owned recycling company founded in 1829 that processes ferrous and non-ferrous metal scrap, end-of-life vehicles, transformers, and electronics through 31 locations across Denmark and Sweden, exporting approximately 98% of output via ten harbor facilities to industrial, municipal, and international smelter customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Metal Recycling Services

NAICS

Waste Collection (5621), Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562211), Waste Management and Remediation Services (562), Waste Treatment and Disposal (5622), Materials Recovery Facilities (56292), Remediation Services (562910)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

Ferrous Scrap Processing & Recycling (Steel/Iron) (EUAIAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scrap Collection, Brokerage & Trading (Dealers, Aggregators, Exporters) (EUAIAJAH), Industrial Scrap Management & On-site Services (Plant Scrap, Roll-off, Managed Programs) (EUAIAJAI), Industrial Hazardous Waste Services (Manufacturing, Refineries, Metals, Automotive) (EUAIAFAG), E-Waste & Electronics Metal Recovery (ITAD, Circuit Boards, Precious Metal Recovery) (IMAKAMAG), Industrial Packaging Waste Services (Pallets, Cardboard, Film, IBCs/Drums—Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAD)

Keywords

• Metal recycling services
• Ferrous scrap processing
• Wind turbine decommissioning
• Transformer dismantling services
• Industrial demolition recycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Odense

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ferrous Metal Scrap: Purchase, processing, and sale of ferrous scrap (iron, steel) to smelters. Core business generating majority of revenue through export to international markets
2. Non-Ferrous Metals: Processing and sale of non-ferrous metals including aluminum, copper, brass, zinc, lead, stainless steel, catalysts, and cables
3. Private Scrap Purchase: Purchase of scrap from private individuals, craftsmen, and small businesses through Skrotspecialisten locations
4. Vehicle Dematerialization: Certified scrapping of end-of-life vehicles with government scrap premium (2,770 DKK for cars deregistered after Jan 1, 2026). Over 90% recycling rate
5. Transformer Processing: Safe dismantling and processing of transformers in all sizes with documented recycling rates up to 98%. Revenue from material value minus processing costs or fixed-price models
6. Wind Turbine Decommissioning: Complete wind turbine decommissioning services from standing turbine to bare ground, including resource recovery
7. Demolition Services: Professional demolition of industrial plants, wind turbines, port cranes, ships, and large iron and concrete structures with full environmental compliance documentation
8. Container and Equipment Rental: Rental of containers and driving plates (køreplader) for waste management and site operations
9. Total Solutions: Comprehensive waste management packages offering single contact point, one invoice, and unified data platform through HJH360. Includes transport ordering, data documentation, and recycling optimization

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HJHansen Recycling Group purchases, processes, and resells ferrous and non-ferrous metal scrap, end-of-life transformers, decommissioned wind turbines, scrapped vehicles, and construction waste. The company operates shredding and refining facilities, harbor-based logistics for international export, and a digital customer platform (HJH360) that consolidates waste data, CO2 reporting, and transport ordering. It serves industrial enterprises, municipalities, demolition contractors, and private customers through dedicated field sales teams, physical scrap yard locations, and sub-brand service lines.

Product overview

HJHansen Recycling Group is a Danish family-owned cleantech company founded in 1829, operating as one of Northern Europe's leading recycling enterprises. The company operates as a platform-plus-subsidiaries structure with its core HJHansen Recycling division alongside several specialized sub-brands including HJHansen Wind Decom (wind turbine decommissioning), HJHansen Trafo (transformer processing), HJHansen Nedbrydning (demolition), HJHansen Råstoffer (raw materials/construction waste), HJHansen Bildemontering (vehicle scrapping), and Skrotspecialisten (private scrap purchasing). The HJH360 digital platform serves as the unified data and reporting portal across all operations. The Group handles ferrous and non-ferrous metals, electronics, cables, catalysts, stainless steel, and construction materials, with shredding capacity representing over half of Denmark's total capacity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HJH360: Digital platform for customers to manage scrap and data, including transport ordering, CO2 tracking, recycling percentages, and statistics on waste data.
• Electronic Reuse & Recycling (ERR)
• HJHansen Wind Decom
• HJHansen Trafo

Products and services

• HJHansen Recycling Core recycling operations collecting, processing, and refining ferrous and non-ferrous metal scrap, with shredding, sorting, and selling raw materials to smelters worldwide. Customers include industrial companies, manufacturers, and international smelters.
• HJHansen Wind Decom

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy savings of up to 95% when recycling aluminum compared to primary production
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ElreturcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Partnership with producer responsibility association Elretur to establish Electronic Reuse & Recycling (ERR) center for preparation for reuse of electronics. Joint initiative to increase electronics reuse from approximately 1% to target of 10%. New facility opened September 2025 in Nørre Aaby with goal of 100,000 devices for reuse annually.
• VestascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in DecomBlades project - a three-year initiative partially funded by Innovationsfonden Danmarks Grand Solutions program. Project aims to create functional and sustainable value chains for handling end-of-life wind turbine blades nationally and internationally.
• Siemens GamesacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in DecomBlades project for wind turbine blade recycling and sustainable handling.
• ØrstedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in DecomBlades project for wind turbine decommissioning and blade recycling.
• LM Wind PowercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in DecomBlades project for wind turbine blade recycling.
• FLSmidthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in DecomBlades project for wind turbine blade recycling solutions.
• Makeen EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in DecomBlades project for wind turbine decommissioning.
• SDU (Syddansk Universitet)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in DecomBlades research project and broader sustainability initiatives.
• DTU (Danmarks Tekniske Universitet)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in DecomBlades research project for wind turbine blade recycling technology.
• Energy Cluster DenmarkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in DecomBlades project and wind energy initiatives.
• Baltic Shipping Company A/ScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Baltic Shipping Company and vessel Ann Rousing for maritime transport of scrap. Enables shipping between Aalborg and Odense with 45% lower CO2 emissions vs truck transport. Annual transport of approximately 49,000 tons from Aalborg harbor to Odense.
• Odense KlimapartnerskabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate partnership including H.J. Hansen Koncernen, 3C Groups, Universal Robots, Energi Fyn, Syddansk Universitet, Jysk Fynske Medier, Fjernvarme Fyn, Odense Havn, Odense Renovation, and Odense Kommune. Aims to accelerate green transition and achieve climate neutrality by 2030.
• Green Power DenmarkminorOthersMember of industry association for renewable energy sector.
• BIR (Bureau of International Recycling)coreOthersActive member of Bureau of International Recycling - global recycling industry organization.
• EuRIC (European Recycling Industries)coreOthersMember of European Recycling Industries Confederation.
• ARI (Affalds- og Ressourceindustrien)coreOthersMember of Danish Waste and Resource Industry association under Dansk Industri.
• GI (Genvindingsindustrien)coreOthersMember of Danish Recycling Industry association.
• MRAI (Material Recycling Association of India)minorOthersMember of Indian materials recycling association.
• MiljølogistikminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for new comprehensive total solution for waste handling for companies with multiple waste fraction needs.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stena Recycling: Swedish-based recycling company with Nordic operations covering ferrous and non-ferrous metals, hazardous waste, and electronics recycling. Directly comparable to HJHansen as a multi-stream Nordic recycler serving industrial, municipality, and private customers, with overlapping service offerings in Scandinavia.
• Kuusakoski: Finnish family-owned recycling company specializing in metal recycling, industrial services, and demolition across the Nordics and Baltics. Highly comparable to HJHansen in family ownership structure, Nordic geographic focus, and full-service recycling offerings including shredding and refining.
• Scholz Recycling: German family-owned scrap metal recycling company with European operations in ferrous and non-ferrous processing, shredding, and trading. Comparable in family ownership, integrated shredder/refining model, and focus on industrial scrap customers.

Broad incumbents

• Sims Metal Management: Global publicly-traded metal recycling company operating across North America, UK, and Australasia. Comparable business model focused on ferrous and non-ferrous scrap collection, processing, and trading, though at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint than HJHansen.
• Radius Recycling (formerly Schnitzer Steel): US-based metal recycling company with operations in ferrous and non-ferrous scrap, including shredding and export to international markets including Asia. Comparable commodity-driven model with similar exposure to global steel demand and shipping logistics, though operating at larger scale.
• Renewi: European public recycling company operating across Benelux, UK, and Germany in waste collection, sorting, and recycling of multiple streams including metals. Comparable diversified recycling model with municipal and industrial customers, though less specialized in scrap metal than HJHansen.
• Aurubis: European copper smelter and recycler listed on the MDAX, processing copper scrap into refined products. Comparable as a downstream customer and competitor in copper recycling value chain, with overlapping exposure to LME copper pricing.
• GFL Environmental: Canadian diversified environmental services company with operations in solid waste, recycling, and soil remediation across North America. Comparable in providing integrated waste management to industrial and municipal customers, though much larger and broader in scope than HJHansen.
• Clean Harbors: North American hazardous waste management and environmental services company. Comparable to HJHansen's transformer processing and industrial hazardous waste handling (HJHansen Trafo, Skive facility), though Clean Harbors operates at much larger scale across broader waste streams.
• Remondis: German family-owned recycling and environmental services company with global operations in waste collection, recycling, and water management. Comparable in family ownership and integrated multi-stream recycling services to industrial and municipal customers, particularly relevant for HJHansen's total solutions offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/hjhansenrecyclinggroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hjhansenrecyclinggroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/hjhrecycling

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries9 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 Hjhansen