What Hamburger Recycling does

Hamburger Recycling is the recycling division of Prinzhorn Holding GmbH, an Austrian family-owned conglomerate founded in 1853. The company collects, sorts, processes, and recycles paper, plastics, metals, and electronic waste, operating 52 locations across 13 countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Turkey) with a workforce of approximately 1,650 employees. Annual throughput stands at 2.3 million tons of secondary raw materials. Core services span waste collection and transport, container rental (open containers, roll-on containers, press containers, vertical balers, and screw compactors), certified GDPR-compliant document destruction, and environmental consulting around zero-waste policy and permit compliance. Underlying technology relies on conventional materials-recovery equipment — sorting lines, baling, compacting, and licensed e-waste processing — without disclosed proprietary AI/ML or software differentiation.

The business operates a direct B2B enterprise field-sales model targeting industrial clients, municipalities, printers, packaging manufacturers, and educational institutions, with a dedicated sales function (e.g., Walter Tanzler) that also serves as the import sourcing channel for Prinzhorn Group's downstream paper mills. Revenue derives from two streams: (i) trading in secondary raw materials (paper, plastics, metals) sold to European paper mills including the group's own containerboard operation, and (ii) professional services for collection, processing, and document destruction on a quote-based, contract-driven pricing basis. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; commercial terms depend on volume, geography, and service scope.

Strategically, Hamburger Recycling functions as the upstream intake point for the Prinzhorn Group's integrated circular value chain — supplying recycled fiber to Hamburger Containerboard (7 production sites across 4 countries, 1,765 employees, 2.25M+ tons of corrugated base paper sold) and onward to Dunapack Packaging (24 facilities in 12 countries, ~6,000 employees, >90% recycled-content packaging). This captive intra-group demand is reinforced by external third-party supply relationships, licensed facilities across multiple jurisdictions, and a Turkey platform built through the 2015 acquisition of Çevrim Atık, the 2017 acquisition of Kastaş Kağıt, and the 2019 merger of those entities into Hamburger Recycling Türkiye Atık Yönetimi A.Ş.

Name

Hamburger Recycling

Legal name

Hamburger Recycling Group GmbH

Website

https://hamburger-recycling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1853

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Hamburger Recycling is the recycling division of Austria's Prinzhorn Group, collecting, sorting, and processing approximately 2.3 million tons of paper, plastics, metals, and e-waste annually across 52 locations in 13 countries, supplying secondary raw materials to industrial clients, municipalities, and the group's own paper mills.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management and Recycling Services

NAICS

Waste Collection (5621), Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers (42393)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Packaging Waste Services (Pallets, Cardboard, Film, IBCs/Drums—Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Post-Consumer Plastic Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF, Bale Supply) (EUAIAKAA), Recycling & E-Waste Collection/Hauling (HSAKALAJ), Consumer Electronics Recycling (TVs, AV, Small Electronics) (BPALAIAH), Consumer E-waste Collection & Take-Back Programs (EUAIAIAA)

Keywords

• Paper recycling services
• Waste management services
• Secondary raw materials
• Scrap metal recovery
• Circular economy solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Pitten

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Secondary Raw Material Trading: Hamburger Recycling Group GmbH handles all imports for the group's paper mills. The company collects, processes, and trades secondary raw materials including paper, plastics, and metals. Materials are sold to paper mills across Europe and within the Prinzhorn Group.
2. Waste Collection and Processing Services: Professional collection, transport, and processing services for recyclable materials provided to businesses, municipalities, and industrial clients. Services include providing containers, flexible collection schedules, waste sorting, baling, and document destruction.
3. Document Destruction Services: Certified document destruction services for compliance with GDPR and data protection regulations. Documents are destroyed to standard sizes with client witnessing options, and destroyed materials are recycled into paper pulp.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Hamburger Recycling Group collects, separates, recycles, and processes paper, plastics, metals, and electronic waste through a network of 52 locations across 13 countries. The company supplies secondary raw materials to the Prinzhorn Group's paper mills and provides turnkey waste management, container rental, GDPR-compliant document destruction, environmental consulting, and licensed waste transportation services to industrial, commercial, and municipal clients.

Product overview

Hamburger Recycling is a waste management and recycling services company operating as part of the Prinzhorn Group. The company offers a unified service portfolio centered on waste collection, separation, and recycling, complemented by container rental (open containers, roll-on containers, press containers, vertical balers, screw compactors), document shredding, environmental consulting, and waste transportation services. For the Prinzhorn Group's paper mills, Hamburger Recycling also provides import sourcing and sales services. The company operates across 13 countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey) with 52 locations and 1,650 employees, processing approximately 2.3 million tons annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Waste Collection, Separation, Recycling, and Processing Services End-to-end collection, sorting, baling, compacting, and processing of recyclable materials (paper, plastics, metals, electronic waste) for industrial clients, municipalities, and internal paper mills across 13 countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
• Container Rental Services Rental of open containers, roll-on containers, press containers, vertical balers, and screw compactors supplied to businesses for on-site waste handling as part of waste management service contracts.
• Document Shredding Services Certified, GDPR-compliant document destruction with closed-chain processing, optional client witnessing, and destruction certificates; shredded material is recycled into paper pulp.
• Environmental Consulting Advisory on environmental management, zero-waste policy implementation, waste management concepts, and regulatory compliance (permits, licenses) for businesses and municipalities.
• Waste Transportation Services Licensed transport of hazardous and non-hazardous waste using specialized vehicles, with flexible same-day or scheduled pickup options.
• Sales & Purchase (Secondary Raw Materials for Prinzhorn Group Paper Mills) Procurement and import of secondary raw materials (paper, plastics, metals) on behalf of Prinzhorn Group paper mills, with delivery to mill locations under the division's sales and purchase function.

Quantifiable outcome

• Each tonne of recycled paper saves 24 trees, 4,000 kWh of energy, 30,000 liters of water, and reduces carbon emissions

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hamburger Recycling Türkiye Atık Yönetimi A.Ş.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Merged entity formed in 2019 combining Kastaş Kağıt Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. and Çevrim Atık Toplama Ayırma ve Dönüşüm A.Ş. Now operates 4 licensed facilities in Izmir, Antalya, and Bursa with integrated waste management services.
• Kastaş Kağıt San. ve Tic. A.Ş.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Acquired by Hamburger Recycling Group in 2017. Founded in 1983, this acquisition substantially increased market share in Turkey.
• Çevrim Atık Toplama Atırma ve Dönüşüm A.Ş.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Acquired by Hamburger Recycling Group in 2015. This Turkish company was operating since 2008 and was one of the initial entries into the Turkish market.
• Prinzhorn Holding GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHamburger Recycling Group GmbH is a member of Prinzhorn Holding GmbH. The company operates as the recycling division of the family-owned Austrian company founded in 1853, which ranks third in the European paper and packaging market segment with 2.4 billion Euro annual turnover.
• Hamburger ContainerboardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister division within Prinzhorn Group. Hamburger Recycling supplies recycled materials to Hamburger Containerboard which operates 7 production sites across 4 countries, employing 1,765 people and selling 2,246,120 metric tons of corrugated base paper.
• Dunapack PackagingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister division within Prinzhorn Group. Dunapack operates 24 production facilities across 12 countries with around 6,000 employees, manufacturing transport-ready and shelf-ready packaging using over 90% recycled paper primarily sourced from Hamburger Containerboard.
• Austrian Trade Association (WKO)minorOthersHamburger Recycling Group GmbH is a member of the Austrian Trade Association (WKO) as per the imprint information.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Renewi: UK and Benelux-listed waste-to-product company focused on recycling paper, plastics, glass, and organics. Comparable as a publicly listed pure-play European secondary raw materials producer with MRF operations.
• ALBA Group: German-based recycling and environmental services group operating MRFs and secondary raw material trading across Europe. Comparable in service mix (collection, sorting, baling, document destruction) and integrated recycling focus.
• Remondis: German family-owned waste and recycling group with extensive paper, plastic, and metal recovery operations across Europe. Closely comparable in family-owned governance, integrated recycling-paper value chain, and CEE geographic presence.
• FCC Environment: European waste management and recycling operator (part of FCC Servicios Medio Ambiente) with municipal, commercial, and industrial collection contracts. Comparable in serving municipalities and industrial clients with multi-country B2B recycling services.

Broad incumbents

• Veolia Environmental Services: Global waste management and recycling major with significant paper, plastic, and industrial waste collection and processing operations across Europe. Highly comparable as a multi-country B2B recycler serving paper mills and municipalities.
• Stora Enso Recycling: Recycling division of Nordic paper and biomaterials major Stora Enso, operating in fiber sourcing and recovered paper trading across Europe. Comparable as a vertically integrated recycler supplying internal and external paper mills.
• Saica Group: Spanish family-owned paper and recycling group operating MRFs and paper mills across Europe. Comparable as a vertically integrated, family-controlled recycler with CEE operations and similar industrial customer base.
• Smurfit Kappa Recycling: Recovered paper sourcing and recycling operations of Smurfit Kappa, one of Europe's largest containerboard/packaging groups. Comparable in operating model where internal paper mills drive recycling demand.
• Suez Recycling and Recovery: European leader in waste collection, sorting, and secondary raw material recovery, including dedicated paper and plastics recycling streams. Directly comparable in operating model, customer mix, and geographic footprint.
• DS Smith Recycling: Recycling arm of DS Smith Packaging, focused on paper and cardboard collection and recovery feeding its packaging mills across Europe. Directly comparable in the integrated recycler-supplier-to-packaging-mill model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hamburger-recycling

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Hamburger Recycling