Hjhansen
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1829
- HeadquartersOdense, Denmark
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
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.
Hjhansen firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Hjhansen industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Hjhansen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Odense
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices14 records
Markets served
Hjhansen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- 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
- Non-Ferrous Metals: Processing and sale of non-ferrous metals including aluminum, copper, brass, zinc, lead, stainless steel, catalysts, and cables
- Private Scrap Purchase: Purchase of scrap from private individuals, craftsmen, and small businesses through Skrotspecialisten locations
- 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
- 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
- Wind Turbine Decommissioning: Complete wind turbine decommissioning services from standing turbine to bare ground, including resource recovery
- Demolition Services: Professional demolition of industrial plants, wind turbines, port cranes, ships, and large iron and concrete structures with full environmental compliance documentation
- Container and Equipment Rental: Rental of containers and driving plates (køreplader) for waste management and site operations
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Private individual scrap sales - local Skrotspecialisten |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Small transformers (500 kg - 4 tons) |
| Hybrid | Multi-year contract | Large transformers (5 - 400 tons) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Hjhansen product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Hjhansen
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Hjhansen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Hjhansen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ElreturcorePartnership 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.
- VestascorePartner 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 GamesacorePartner in DecomBlades project for wind turbine blade recycling and sustainable handling.
- ØrstedcorePartner in DecomBlades project for wind turbine decommissioning and blade recycling.
- LM Wind PowercorePartner in DecomBlades project for wind turbine blade recycling.
- FLSmidthminorPartner in DecomBlades project for wind turbine blade recycling solutions.
- Makeen EnergyminorPartner in DecomBlades project for wind turbine decommissioning.
- SDU (Syddansk Universitet)corePartner in DecomBlades research project and broader sustainability initiatives.
- DTU (Danmarks Tekniske Universitet)minorPartner in DecomBlades research project for wind turbine blade recycling technology.
- Energy Cluster DenmarkminorPartner in DecomBlades project and wind energy initiatives.
- Baltic Shipping Company A/ScoreLong-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 KlimapartnerskabcoreClimate 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 DenmarkminorMember of industry association for renewable energy sector.
- BIR (Bureau of International Recycling)coreActive member of Bureau of International Recycling - global recycling industry organization.
- EuRIC (European Recycling Industries)coreMember of European Recycling Industries Confederation.
- ARI (Affalds- og Ressourceindustrien)coreMember of Danish Waste and Resource Industry association under Dansk Industri.
- GI (Genvindingsindustrien)coreMember of Danish Recycling Industry association.
- MRAI (Material Recycling Association of India)minorMember of Indian materials recycling association.
- MiljølogistikminorPartnership for new comprehensive total solution for waste handling for companies with multiple waste fraction needs.
Scale indicators17 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Hjhansen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Hjhansen social profiles
Digital presenceHjhansen compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Hjhansen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hjhansen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Hjhansen subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries9 records
Hjhansen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hjhansen M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hjhansen
What does Hjhansen do?
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.
Is Hjhansen a public or private company?
Hjhansen is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Hjhansen founded?
Hjhansen was founded in 1829. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Hjhansen based?
Hjhansen is headquartered in Odense, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does Hjhansen make money?
Nine revenue lines are on record. Ferrous Metal Scrap is the primary driver. The others are non-Ferrous Metals, private Scrap Purchase, vehicle Dematerialization, transformer Processing, wind Turbine Decommissioning, demolition Services, container and Equipment Rental and total Solutions.
Who are Hjhansen's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Stena Recycling, Kuusakoski and Scholz Recycling. Broad incumbents are Sims Metal Management, Radius Recycling (formerly Schnitzer Steel), Renewi, Aurubis, GFL Environmental, Clean Harbors and Remondis.
Does Hjhansen have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hjhansen.
What industry is Hjhansen in?
Hjhansen's product category is Metal Recycling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIAJAA, Ferrous Scrap Processing & Recycling (Steel/Iron), with a secondary code of EUAIAJAH, Scrap Collection, Brokerage & Trading (Dealers, Aggregators, Exporters). Its NAICS code is 5621 and its SIC code is 4953.