What Retrival does

Retrival S.C.R.L. is a Belgian cooperative (société coopérative à responsabilité limitée) founded in 1997 at the initiative of Cockerill Sambre to address industrial restructuring in the Charleroi basin. Headquartered in Couillet (Charleroi), the company operates with approximately 30 collaborators and 2 administrators under co-directors Thibaut Jacquet and Damien Verraver, and holds three regulatory accreditations: agrément as an insertion enterprise (entreprise d'insertion) by the Walloon Region, RECUPEL approval for electrical waste, and authorization as a hazardous waste collector. Its mission combines environmental services with socio-professional reintegration of marginalized workers.

Retrival delivers four core service lines to businesses and public authorities across Wallonia: waste collection, sorting, reuse and recycling; selective deconstruction of buildings (with documented 27% reuse on its 2016 Louvain-la-Neuve project and 80% reuse on its own new offices); green space maintenance (land clearing, pruning, chipping); and industrial upcycling (e.g., window frame rehabilitation, fair carpet reuse). Its proprietary technology is the ACCUBOX 'Maison' multi-flux collection container, built from recycled materials with lids produced by adapted work enterprises from recycled PVC advertising banners, and it operates the Cornermat online marketplace (cornermat.be) for resale of reclaimed construction materials. Service delivery is high-labor-intensity and cannot be easily automated, which is the rationale for the social-enterprise employment model.

The business model combines professional-services revenue (custom-quoted environmental services and selective deconstruction contracts for enterprises and public authorities) with transaction-fee revenue from reclaimed-materials sales via Cornermat and one-time/rental revenue from ACCUBOX container sales and rentals. Distribution is direct enterprise and public-authority field sales led by Commercial Director Benjamin Germiat, with Cornermat as a self-serve e-commerce channel for materials buyers. Marketing is primarily earned media (RTBF, Canal Z, UCM Magazine, Confederation of Construction) rather than paid digital acquisition. The 2024 REnversC project (€3.34M, 29 partners, 2024-2028) is extending operations cross-border into the French Hainaut, and a 2024 Prix de l'Economie Sociale pour la Wallonie reinforces its ESG positioning.

Name

Retrival

Legal name

RETRIVAL S.C.R.L.

Website

https://retrival.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Retrival is a Belgian cooperative founded in 1997 providing waste management, selective building deconstruction, green space maintenance, and upcycling services to enterprises and public authorities in Wallonia, combining these with socio-professional reintegration of workers and reselling reclaimed materials via its Cornermat marketplace.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management & Environmental Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers (423930), Materials Recovery Facilities (56292)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600), Wholesale-Durable Goods, Nec (5099)

akta.pro primary industry

Deconstruction & Salvage (Building Materials Reuse) (BPALAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reuse & Resale / Recommerce Operations (EUAIANAC), Repair, Refurbishment & Remanufacturing Services (EUAIANAB), Refurbishment, Remanufacturing & Recommerce Enablement (TLAIAHAC)

Keywords

• Waste management services
• Selective deconstruction
• Construction materials reuse
• Circular economy services
• Industrial upcycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Couillet

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Environmental Services to Businesses and Public Authorities: Waste collection, sorting, reuse and recycling services; selective deconstruction of buildings; clearing and maintenance of green spaces for businesses and public powers. High labor intensity services with flexible, adapted solutions.
2. Reclaimed Construction Materials Sales: Sale of reclaimed building materials through Cornermat online platform. Materials sourced from deconstruction projects, sorted and made available for reuse in new construction or renovation projects.
3. Container Rental and Sales: Sale and rental of containers and other equipment. Containers remain company property until full payment. Follows specific terms regarding risk transfer, custody, and liability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Retrival is a Belgian cooperative providing environmental services to businesses and public authorities, including waste collection and sorting, selective building deconstruction, green space maintenance, and industrial upcycling. The company also sells reclaimed construction materials through its Cornermat online platform and offers ACCUBOX multi-flux container solutions. Operations are characterized by high labor intensity and a social enterprise mission focused on socio-professional reintegration.

Product overview

Retrival is a cooperative company providing environmental services for businesses and public authorities. Its core offering combines service-based operations (waste collection and sorting, selective deconstruction, green space maintenance, upcycling) with Cornermat, an online marketplace for selling recovered construction materials. The ACCUBOX Maison product provides specialized multi-flux waste collection containers made from recycled materials. Together, these services and products form an integrated circular economy solution focused on material recovery, reuse, and recycling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cornermat: Online supermarket for reclaimed construction materials and reusable objects, managed by Retrival as a physical and digital resale platform.

Products and services

• Waste Collection and Sorting Services Collection, sorting, reuse and recycling of waste and resources for businesses and public authorities. Includes waste audits, bin/container optimization, employee training, and certified waste destination routing. Designed for clients requiring environmentally compliant waste management with detailed reporting.
• Selective Deconstruction Services Selective deconstruction of buildings with focus on material reuse before recycling or disposal. Services include curage (removal of superfluous materials), dismantling, demolition, hazardous material handling, source sorting, waste inventory, and material quantification for reuse potential assessment. Target clients are construction firms, property developers, and public bodies undertaking demolition or renovation projects.
• Green Space Maintenance Services
• Industrial Upcycling Services Industrial upcycling of materials destined for disposal, transforming them into new useful products in medium or large quantities. Includes window frame rehabilitation and dismantling for valorization, fair carpet reuse, and construction material recovery. Targets construction and industrial waste streams with reuse potential.
• Cornermat Online Marketplace Online e-commerce platform for purchasing reclaimed and reused construction materials. Enables individuals, contractors, and small businesses to source sustainable, recovered building materials for renovation, construction, or development projects. Operated as a sub-brand of Retrival.
• ACCUBOX Maison Multi-flux Collection Containers Multi-flux collection containers made from recycled materials, designed for companies lacking space or seeking advanced sorting capabilities. Features differentiated weighing and detailed reporting. Available for sale or rental, with containers remaining Retrival's property until full payment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% materials reuse rate achieved in new office construction project in Charleroi
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• REnversC Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Interreg VI France-Wallonia-Vlaanderen project (2024-2028) with budget of 3,341,077.61 EUR. Retrival contributes knowledge and expertise in circularity of construction materials. 29 partners including Espace Environnement, Cluster Eco-construction, Le Forem, and cross-border organizations from Belgium and France.
• RECUPELcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved by RECUPEL for electrical waste collection and management. Partnership enables proper routing of electrical equipment to certified recycling streams.
• Design Point ASBLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration for developing lids for ACCUBOX containers, manufactured by adapted work enterprises using recycled PVC advertising banners collected from clients.
• Plateforme RéemploicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of the Reemployment Platform which brings together actors in construction reuse in Brussels. Retrival participates in working groups and expert conferences on deconstruction inventories.
• Espace Environnement asblcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in REnversC project. Independent public interest organization working with citizens, associations, businesses and public authorities for sustainable development.
• Cluster Eco-construction asblcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of nearly 300 professionals in Wallonia active in environmentally responsible construction and renovation. Recognized and supported by Walloon Region.
• Le ForemcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPublic employment and professional training service for Walloon Region. Partner in REnversC project for workforce development in circular renovation.
• Saw-BminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederation of social economy associations and enterprises, consulting agency for social enterprise development. Mobilizes and supports economic practice innovations in social economy sector.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Bellastock: French cooperative architecture and reuse organization focused on material recovery from deconstruction and circular construction. Comparable in social economy structure and construction material reuse focus, though broader in scope.
• Rotor DC: Belgian organization specializing in construction material reuse, deconstruction inventories, and salvage expertise. Comparable in Belgian geography and selective deconstruction methodology, though more research/design oriented.

Direct peers

• Backacia: French online marketplace for reclaimed construction materials sourced from deconstruction sites. Direct competitor to Retrival's Cornermat platform, operating in a closely analogous model connecting deconstruction supply to reuse demand.
• Cycle Up: French cooperative platform focused on reuse of construction materials, including a marketplace and consulting on deconstruction inventories. Closely comparable in mission, cooperative structure, and integrated reuse offering.

Regional players

• Le Relais: French social enterprise focused on textile reuse and integration of disadvantaged workers. Comparable through its parallel combination of circular economy operations and socio-professional reintegration mission, though in a different material stream.

Others

• Shanks Group: Historical Belgian/Dutch waste management firm (now part of Renewi) where Retrival's co-director Thibaut Jacquet worked from 1994-1998. Operated comparable collection and sorting services in the same Wallonia/Belgium market.
• Plateforme Réemploi: Brussels-based reuse platform bringing together construction reuse actors including Retrival. Comparable as ecosystem participant and shared standards body for deconstruction inventories in the Belgian market.

Broad incumbents

• SUEZ Recycling and Recovery: Global waste management and recycling incumbent with significant Belgian operations. Comparable as competitor in collection, sorting, and recovery services, though at vastly larger scale and broader scope.
• Renewi (formerly Van Gansewinkel): Large European waste management incumbent operating across Belgium and the Netherlands across all waste streams. Comparable because Retrival's co-director Damien Verraver previously worked at Van Gansewinkel, and Renewi competes for the same waste volumes at greater scale.
• Veolia Environmental Services: Global environmental services incumbent with major Belgian operations in waste management and materials recovery. Comparable across the core service portfolio, with Retrival positioned as a specialized niche alternative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61561407333799

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Retrival