Barec Group
Barec Group is a family-owned Swiss full-service recycling company founded in 1954, operating eight sites across Switzerland with 220 employees and processing 500,000+ tonnes annually of metals, paper, electronics, plastics, vehicles, and hair for enterprise, healthcare, retail, and SMB salon clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1954
- HeadquartersEcublens, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Barec Group does
Barec Group (legal entity: Groupe Barec) is a privately held, family-owned Swiss full-service recycling company founded in 1954 as Thévenaz-Leduc SA and headquartered in Ecublens-Lausanne. The company operates eight sites across Switzerland (Lausanne-Ecublens, Bern-Schermen, Moudon, Satigny, Collombey, Grand-Lancy, Cadro, and Spreitenbach), employs approximately 220 people, and processes over 500,000 tonnes of material annually. Its portfolio covers ferrous and non-ferrous metals, end-of-life vehicles, paper and cardboard (70,000 tonnes/year capacity at Bern), electronic waste, plastics, and a niche hair-recycling subscription service (Recup'Hair) under sub-brands that include Datarec AG for secure DIN 66399-certified data destruction and RecyclingPlatform.ch for daily metal price transparency.
Underlying operations rely on specialized industrial equipment including Lindemann LUC 816T metal shears, car shredders, an end-of-life vehicle depollution station, UNOTECH paper presses, Blubox for mercury-containing flat screens and neon lamps, and Cabelbox for cable separation. The company generates revenue through transaction fees for material processing and sales, recurring monthly subscriptions for Recup'Hair salon services (CHF 30-45/month), professional services fees for certified Datarec secure data destruction, and unit sales of Absorb'Hair oil-absorption mats. Its go-to-market is sales-led enterprise field sales across all eight regional locations, targeting industrial clients, healthcare institutions (PUK Zurich, Inselspital), insurance groups (Groupe Mutuel), retail chains (Coop), and SMB salons. Strategic anchors include an exclusive Swiss Nespresso aluminum capsule recycling partnership since 1991 (~67% Swiss capsule collection rate vs 33% global average) and a Securitas SA secure-transport joint venture for Datarec since 1993. The company holds ISO 9001/14001/45001, PZERT/DIN 66399, SENS, SWICO, and is pursuing EcoEntreprise certification.
Barec Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Barec Group
- Legal name
- Groupe Barec
- Website
- https://barec.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1954
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Barec Group is a family-owned Swiss full-service recycling company founded in 1954, operating eight sites across Switzerland with 220 employees and processing 500,000+ tonnes annually of metals, paper, electronics, plastics, vehicles, and hair for enterprise, healthcare, retail, and SMB salon clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Barec Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Waste Management and Recycling Services
- NAICS
- Solid Waste Collection (562111), Hazardous Waste Collection (562112)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953)
- akta.pro primary industry
- E-waste & Universal Waste Collection/Transfer (Electronics, Lamps, Batteries) (EUAIABAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Universal Waste Management (Batteries, Lamps, Mercury-Containing) (BPALAHAL), Confidential Document & Media Destruction (On-site Shredding Programs) (BPABALAI), Confidential Document Destruction & Secure Recycling (Shredding) (IMAIAFAO), Hazardous Waste & Universal Waste Handling (Batteries, Lamps, Aerosols) (BPABALAE)
Keywords
Where Barec Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ecublens
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
Barec Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Recycling Services Revenue: Comprehensive recycling services for various waste streams including metals, paper, cardboard, electronics, plastics, and data destruction. Revenue generated through service fees, material processing fees, and material sales.
- Recup'Hair Subscription Services: Monthly subscription services for hair recycling from salons, with tiered pricing (Original, Light, Mini plans) offering recurring monthly revenue.
- Secure Data Destruction Services: Certified data destruction services through Datarec division, including secure transport, shredding, and documentation for compliance purposes.
- Absorb'Hair Product Sales: Sale of oil absorption mats made from recycled hair (Absorb'Hair and Absorb'Hair MAX products) to workshops and industrial users.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Recup'Hair Original subscription - monthly pickup service for larger salons |
| Subscription | Monthly | Recup'Hair Light subscription - smaller salon option |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Recup'Hair Mini - annual membership with prepaid shipping cartons |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Absorb'Hair - standard oil absorption mat |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Absorb'Hair MAX - large oil absorption mat |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Barec Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Barec Group is a Swiss full-service recycling company that collects, processes and recycles multiple material streams including iron scrap and end-of-life vehicles, non-ferrous metals, paper and cardboard, plastics, electronic waste, and a niche hair recycling service. Through its Datarec subsidiary it also provides certified secure data and document destruction (DIN 66399 / PZERT). Services are delivered via 8 owned sites across Switzerland, supported by scheduled pickups, customer self-delivery, and a customer portal.
Product overview
Barec Group is a leading Swiss full-service recycling company offering comprehensive waste management solutions across eight locations in Switzerland. The portfolio centers on a unified recycling platform encompassing multiple material-specific services: iron scrap & cars, metals, paper & cardboard, data & document destruction, electronic waste, plastics, and hair recycling. Key sub-brands include BAREC Datarec (secure data destruction), Recup'Hair (hair recycling subscription service), and Recycling Platform (metal pricing transparency). The company also operates specialized processing equipment like Blubox for e-waste and Cablebox for cable processing. All services are backed by ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Recup'Hair: Hair recycling service for Swiss hair salons that transforms cut hair into sustainable products like Absorb'Hair oil-absorbent mats
- Absorb'Hair
- Datarec
- RecyclingPlatform.ch
Products and services
- Gesamtl\u00f6sungen (Total Recycling Solutions) Comprehensive waste management and recycling solutions program covering all aspects of modern recycling, from individual material streams to complete disposal concepts for enterprises of any size.
- Eisenschrott & Autos (Iron Scrap & End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling) Ferrous metal scrap recycling and end-of-life vehicle recycling including depollution services and material recovery for industrial clients and automotive dismantlers.
- Metalle (Non-Ferrous Metal Recycling) Recycling of non-ferrous metals including aluminum, copper and other valuable metals that can be endlessly reused, including exclusive Swiss processing of Nespresso aluminum capsules.
- Papier & Karton (Paper & Cardboard Recycling) Paper and cardboard recycling services recovering fiber materials, served through the modern Bern-Schermen sorting facility (70,000 tonnes/year capacity) and the Moudon combined recycling site.
- Daten- & Aktenvernichtung (Datarec Secure Data & Document Destruction) Certified secure data and document destruction service (Datarec) for confidential materials, with certified chain of custody, secure transport in partnership with Securitas SA, and DIN 66399 (PZERT) certification covering levels O-3 through E-4.
- Elektro-Alt-Ger\u00e4te-Schrott (Electronic Waste Recycling) Electronic waste recycling under SENS and SWICO licenses, extracting valuable raw materials from old electronics, with proprietary Blubox processing for flat screens and mercury-containing neon lamps.
- Kunststoffe (Plastic Recycling) Plastic recycling solutions for LD-PE films, PET cups and other plastics, reintroducing them into the circular economy for retail, food-service and industrial clients.
- Recup'Hair Hair Recycling Service Salon-focused hair recycling subscription service that collects cut hair for transformation into Absorb'Hair oil-absorption mats, offered in Original (CHF 45/month, up to 10x110L bags), Light (CHF 30/month, up to 3 bags) and Mini (CHF 39/year + 5 prepaid cartons) tiers.
- Absorb'Hair Oil-Absorption Mats Sale of physical oil-absorption mats manufactured from recycled salon hair, jute and recycled plastic, available in standard (73x40x3.5cm, 450g recycled hair, 2.5L oil capacity, CHF 25) and MAX (93x73x3.5cm, 1,300g recycled hair, 5.5L oil capacity, CHF 40) sizes for workshops, motorcyclists and industrial users.
- Recycling Platform (Metal Pricing Transparency) Online platform providing transparent, daily-updated metal and scrap prices accessible to suppliers and scrap sellers.
Quantifiable outcome
- ~67% of Nespresso aluminum capsules collected and recycled in Switzerland (vs. 33% global average)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Barec Group
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Barec Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Barec Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Securitas SAcoreSecuritas SA provides security transport drivers for Datarec SA (now BAREC) secure data destruction services. This joint venture dates to 1993 and ensures certified security for handling sensitive documents. Raphael from Securitas provides daily secure transport of containers to the Spreitenbach shredding facility.
- NespressocoreSince 1991, BAREC has partnered with Nespresso for aluminum capsule recycling. BAREC is the only Swiss recycler for Nespresso capsules. The partnership processes approximately 2 out of 3 capsules collected in Switzerland (vs 33% global average). Aluminum is remelted for new products while coffee grounds are converted to biogas, then heat, electricity, and agricultural fertilizer. This is a flagship circular economy partnership.
- Recycling SuissecoreFormerly VSMR, Recycling Suisse is the Swiss recycling industry association. BAREC CEO Roger Blesi serves as co-Vice President alongside Pouyan Dardashti. Dario Balmelli also serves on the board. This gives BAREC direct influence on industry standards and policy.
- Rolph SAminorPartnership with Rolph SA in Kloten for hair donation collection. BAREC collects hair donations from Recup'Hair partner salons and forwards them to Rolph for professional wig making, supporting Crans-Montana tragedy victims.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves19 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Barec Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Immark AG: Swiss e-waste and electronic equipment recycler licensed under SENS and SWICO, with secure data destruction services. Comparable to Barec's electronic waste and Datarec divisions on the same Swiss compliance stack.
- Bürgi Recycling: Swiss recycling and disposal services provider covering metals, paper, and commercial waste streams. Comparable regional-scale full-service recycler competing with Barec for industrial and commercial accounts.
- Galvaswiss: Swiss ferrous and non-ferrous metal recycler with nationwide collection infrastructure. Directly comparable to Barec's metal recycling and ELV depollution operations in the Swiss scrap market.
- Thommen Group: Major Swiss full-service metal and recycling group, also represented at the vice-president level of Recycling Suisse alongside Barec's CEO. Operates scrap metal collection, end-of-life vehicle processing, and material recovery — directly comparable in scope and Swiss market positioning.
- Müller Recycling: Swiss metal recycler with collection and processing sites serving industrial and commercial customers. Directly comparable to Barec's iron scrap and non-ferrous metal processing operations.
Broad incumbents
- Remondis: Large international recycling and environmental services group with Swiss operations spanning metal, paper, plastic, and hazardous waste. Overlaps with Barec's multi-stream platform but operates at much greater scale and broader geographic scope.
- Veolia (Suez Recycling): Global environmental services and waste management incumbent with recycling, hazardous waste, and circular economy offerings. Comparable in service breadth but operates as a multi-national, multi-vertical platform.
- Stena Recycling: International recycling group with metal, electronics, and secure data destruction services. Comparable to Barec's specialty verticals, particularly Datarec, but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
Regional players
- Hälg Group: Swiss facility services and building management group that includes recycling and waste management offerings. Comparable on integrated facility-level waste contracts and customer base, though recycling is not its primary focus.
Others
- SENS eRecycling: Swiss foundation that licenses and coordinates e-waste recycling under the SENS scheme — Barec is a SENS-licensed recycler. Comparable as an ecosystem/regulatory counterpart rather than direct competitor, defining compliance standards that channel volume to Barec.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Barec Group social profiles
Digital presenceBarec Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance78 records
Barec Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Barec Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Barec Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Barec Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Barec Group 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 Barec Group
What does Barec Group do?
Barec Group is a Swiss full-service recycling company that collects, processes and recycles multiple material streams including iron scrap and end-of-life vehicles, non-ferrous metals, paper and cardboard, plastics, electronic waste, and a niche hair recycling service. Through its Datarec subsidiary it also provides certified secure data and document destruction (DIN 66399 / PZERT). Services are delivered via 8 owned sites across Switzerland, supported by scheduled pickups, customer self-delivery, and a customer portal.
Is Barec Group a public or private company?
Barec Group is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Barec Group founded?
Barec Group was founded in 1954. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Barec Group based?
Barec Group is headquartered in Ecublens, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Barec Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Recycling Services Revenue is the primary driver. The others are recup'Hair Subscription Services, secure Data Destruction Services and absorb'Hair Product Sales.
Who are Barec Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Immark AG, Bürgi Recycling, Galvaswiss, Thommen Group and Müller Recycling. Broad incumbents are Remondis, Veolia (Suez Recycling) and Stena Recycling. Hälg Group is listed as a regional player. SENS eRecycling is listed as an others.
Does Barec Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Barec Group.
What industry is Barec Group in?
Barec Group's product category is Waste Management and Recycling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIABAG, E-waste & Universal Waste Collection/Transfer (Electronics, Lamps, Batteries), with a secondary code of BPALAHAL, Universal Waste Management (Batteries, Lamps, Mercury-Containing). Its NAICS code is 562111 and its SIC code is 4953.