What Batrec Industrie does

Batrec Industrie AG operates a single specialized hazardous waste treatment facility in Wimmis, Switzerland, processing batteries, mercury-contaminated wastes, liquid mercury, mercury absorbents, and spent activated carbon for industrial and municipal clients worldwide. The company runs a thermal, closed-loop processing platform built around three furnaces (commissioned in 2005, 2008, and 2020) capable of stabilizing up to 1,200 tonnes of elemental mercury per year into mercury sulfide for permanent underground disposal, recovering metals (zinc, ferromanganese, slag) from batteries via two-stage thermal treatment at 700–800°C, and reactivating spent activated carbon at up to 850°C. Its lithium battery recycling process was patented in 2003, and BATREC is the only operator globally claiming a fully closed-loop system for isolating toxic battery materials while recovering metals. The business model is B2B enterprise services on a project-by-project, multi-year contract basis: clients include chemical and petrochemical operators, oil & gas firms, chlor-alkali plants, and Swiss municipalities via the INOBAT collection system (35-year standing, ~85% consumer battery collection rate). BATREC also provides door-to-door project management — repackaging, transboundary transport, Basel Convention permit administration, and treatment coordination under ADR/IMDG/IATA — effectively acting as a fully integrated waste handler for complex cross-border projects. Since 2013 the company has operated as a subsidiary of Veolia, embedded within SARP Industries (European leader in special waste, 46+ million tonnes processed annually across six geographic zones). Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Batrec Industrie

Legal name

BATREC INDUSTRIE AG

Website

https://batrec.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Batrec Industrie AG is a Swiss hazardous waste treatment company operating a single Wimmis facility that recycles batteries, stabilizes mercury, and reactivates spent activated carbon for industrial and municipal clients worldwide, as a subsidiary of Veolia's SARP Industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hazardous Industrial Waste Treatment

NAICS

Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562211), Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining (33141), Hazardous Waste Collection (562112)

SIC

Hazardous Waste Management (4955), Primary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3330)

akta.pro primary industry

Precious & Specialty Metal Recovery (Smelting, Refining, Hydrometallurgy) (EUAIAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Hazardous Waste Services (Manufacturing, Refineries, Metals, Automotive) (EUAIAFAG), Lead-Acid Battery Recycling (Breaking, Smelting, Refining) (EUAIAIAG), E-Waste & Electronics Metal Recovery (ITAD, Circuit Boards, Precious Metal Recovery) (IMAKAMAG)

Keywords

• Hazardous waste treatment
• Battery recycling services
• Mercury stabilization
• Activated carbon reactivation
• Industrial waste management

Headquarters

HQ city

Wimmis

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hazardous waste treatment services: Treatment and recycling fees for processing batteries, mercury-contaminated wastes, liquid mercury, mercury absorbents, and spent activated carbon. Revenue generated through service contracts with industrial clients.
2. Project management services: Comprehensive project management including repackaging, transboundary transport, permits, and final treatment coordination for hazardous waste management.
3. Hazardous waste logistics and transport: Expert hazardous waste transport services from customer sites to BATREC's Switzerland facility, utilizing international dangerous goods regulations (ADR, IMDG, IATA).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Batrec Industrie AG is a Swiss hazardous industrial waste recycling company that treats three principal waste streams—batteries (alkaline, button cells, lithium, Li-ion, NiMH), mercury-containing wastes (liquid mercury, absorbents, contaminated soils/sludges, products containing mercury), and spent activated carbon—through proprietary thermal and physico-chemical processes at its Wimmis, Switzerland facility. The company provides door-to-door project management, including international transport under ADR/IMDG/IATA regulations, Basel Convention transboundary permit administration, packaging, and final treatment. It holds the only worldwide closed-loop system for isolating toxic materials from spent batteries and recovering metals, and stabilizes up to 1,200 tonnes of elemental mercury per year.

Product overview

BATREC Industrie AG operates as a hazardous industrial waste recycling company that offers a comprehensive portfolio of waste treatment solutions, functioning as a single integrated service rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offerings center on three main waste streams: battery recycling (portable, consumer, button cells, and lithium batteries), mercury treatment (including disposal, stabilization, absorbents, contaminated sites, and products containing mercury), and activated carbon recycling (reactivation, disposal, and filter handling). These treatment capabilities are supported by complementary services including project management for global hazardous waste projects, transboundary movement administration under the Basel Convention, and waste transport logistics. The company is the only entity worldwide to have developed a closed-loop system that isolates toxic materials from spent batteries while recovering metals for revaluation, with its facility in Wimmis, Switzerland serving as the central processing hub. BATREC operates as a subsidiary of VEOLIA within SARP Industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Battery Recycling Two-step thermal recycling service that recovers valuable raw materials from alkaline, Zn-air, Zn-C, button cells, lithium (LiMnO2), Li-ion (phones, e-bikes, EVs, power tools), and NiMH batteries. Mercury is distilled and recovered as metallic mercury; ferromanganese and slag are extracted; zinc is condensed. Serves industrial waste generators and the INOBAT Swiss consumer collection system.
• Mercury Disposal / Stabilization Physico-chemical treatment that stabilizes liquid mercury into mercury sulfide (HgS, cinnabar) for permanent underground disposal in salt mines. Capacity to stabilize up to 1,200 tonnes of elemental mercury per year. Targets chlor-alkali plants, oil and gas operators, and other industrial mercury waste producers.
• Mercury Absorbents Treatment Decontaminates mercury absorbents used in chemical and petrochemical processes for gas purification. Extracted mercury is stabilized while clean absorbents are recycled through copper and zinc recovery or activated carbon reactivation. Serves oil and gas and chemical industry clients.
• Products Containing Mercury Treatment Distillation and stabilization treatment for mercury-containing products such as lamps, thermometers, and button batteries. Mercury is separated by distillation and transformed into mercury sulfide for permanent disposal; high-purity mercury (99.9995%) is recycled for authorized applications under the Minamata Convention.
• Mercury Contaminated Sites Treatment Treatment of contaminated sludge, soil, and activated carbon from decontaminated industrial sites such as chlor-alkali plants. Mercury is extracted in multiple stages and stabilized, with contaminated PPE incinerated in Batrec's pyrolysis plant. Targeted at remediation contractors and site owners.
• Activated Carbon Reactivation High-temperature thermal treatment up to 850°C that reactivates spent activated carbon used in gas/air and water treatment applications. Evaporated pollutants are treated through a complex gas purification train comprising an afterburner chamber, scrubbers, and filters for environmentally responsible emissions.
• Activated Carbon Disposal Treatment and disposal service for spent activated carbon no longer needed by sites, addressing contaminants and reintroducing materials into the industrial circuit through Batrec's internal Veolia network.
• Filters Handling Complete filter management service: transport organization to Batrec's Swiss site, emptying of spent carbon into big bags, reactivation, and refilling of filters with reactivated activated carbon. Offers a turnkey solution for industrial carbon filter users.
• Project Management Comprehensive global project management for hazardous waste, including repackaging, transboundary transport, permits, and final treatment coordination. Provides door-to-door solutions from waste generation site to Batrec's Wimmis treatment facility, covering ADR/IMDG/IATA logistics and Basel Convention compliance.
• Waste Transport and Logistics Expert hazardous waste transport services from customer sites to Batrec's Wimmis facility. Specialists in international dangerous-goods regulations for road (ADR), sea (IMDG), and air (IATA) transport.
• Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes Administrative support for international transport permits for special waste under the Basel Convention, including preparation of permit applications with required annexes and coordination with export, transit, and import authorities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% battery collection rate in Switzerland through INOBAT system (excluding lithium batteries)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SARP Industries (Veolia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013In 2013, BATREC officially became part of SARP Industries within the Veolia group. SARP Industries is the company within Veolia specialized in the recovery of special/hazardous wastes. SARPI is present in 6 geographic zones and processes more than 46 million tonnes of special wastes annually.
• INOBATcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINOBAT is the Swiss organization mandated by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) to collect, manage, and use the advance disposal fee (ADF) paid by consumers when purchasing batteries. BATREC works closely with INOBAT to process all batteries collected in Switzerland. The INOBAT system has been operating for 35 years.
• GlencoreminorOthersMentioned as a competitor/peer in the Europe battery recycling market alongside Umicore, Fortum, Stena Recycling, ACCUREC, and Ecobat.
• UmicoreminorOthersIdentified as a leading player in the Europe battery recycling competitive landscape, with supporting roles from BATREC.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Umicore: Global materials technology and recycling group with a leading battery recycling business (Umicore Rechargeable Battery Materials and Recycling). Closely comparable to BATREC's battery recycling focus, particularly on Li-ion and NiMH streams, and identified as a leading player in the same European competitive landscape.
• Ecobat: European leader in lead-acid battery recycling with multiple smelting and refining facilities. Comparable to BATREC's lead-acid and broader battery recycling offering, and identified as a peer in the same European competitive landscape.
• ACCUREC: German specialist in lithium-ion battery recycling using pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical processes. Closely comparable to BATREC's Li-ion recycling niche and listed alongside it as a Europe battery recycling competitor.
• Stena Recycling: Major Scandinavian metals and electronics recycler operating battery and hazardous waste processing. Comparable to BATREC in recycling breadth and listed alongside it in the Europe battery recycling competitive landscape.

Broad incumbents

• Glencore: Global commodities and recycling group with significant battery recycling and non-ferrous metal recovery operations. Comparable to BATREC in metal recovery from spent batteries and industrial waste, and identified as a peer in the European battery recycling market.
• SARP Industries: Sister company within Veolia specialized in hazardous and special waste recovery across six geographic zones, processing 46+ million tonnes annually. Directly comparable business model to BATREC but at much larger scale and broader footprint.
• Veolia Environmental Services: Global environmental services parent of BATREC and SARPI, with broad hazardous waste capabilities across multiple continents. Comparable as ultimate parent and broader incumbent in the same waste management category.

Emerging players

• Redux Recycling: German specialist in battery recycling using a pyrometallurgical process similar in concept to BATREC's thermal battery treatment. Comparable in technology approach and European market focus.
• Duesenfeld: German battery recycling startup using low-temperature hydrometallurgical processes for lithium-ion cells. Comparable to BATREC in targeting the same industrial and EV Li-ion recycling waste streams with a different technical approach.
• Fortum: Nordic energy group expanding into battery recycling and circular economy services, including hydrometallurgical processing of EV batteries. Comparable to BATREC in addressing industrial and EV battery waste, and listed in the same European peer set.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Batrec Industrie