What PreZero Deutschland does

PreZero Deutschland is a vertically integrated environmental services provider and the circular economy subsidiary of Schwarz Group, the privately held European retail conglomerate that also owns Lidl and Kaufland. The company operates ~120 locations in Germany with ~4,800 employees under the legal entity PreZero Deutschland KG (headquartered in Porta Westfalica), alongside a coordinating foundation entity PreZero Stiftung & Co. KG (Neckarsulm). Its core offering spans municipal waste collection (e.g., the Gelbe Tonne contract in Landkreis Heilbronn), commercial and industrial waste management, sorting and recycling of up to 14 material streams (plastics, glass, metals, wood, paper, composites, compost), and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) licensing for packaging, batteries, and WEEE electronics. Adjacent services include water treatment (Wasseraufbereitung), secondary raw material supply, energy recovery, document destruction, and specialized lines in flexible/film packaging and vehicle lifecycle recycling.

Revenue is generated through a mix of subscription-based commercial collection contracts, transactional fees from EPR licensing and dual-system participation, sales of secondary raw materials, professional services (sustainability consulting via PreZero.scope, WasteEcoSavings, avoided-emissions certification), and managed-services arrangements for industrial water and energy. Distribution is multi-channel: enterprise field sales for municipal and industrial tenders (the Heilbronn yellow bin contract was awarded via EU-wide tender), direct-to-consumer digital channels including the myprezero customer portal and container.online webshop, and operational partnerships such as REMONDIS as contracted collection operator. The company's IT stack is anchored by SAP SuccessFactors for HR and is supported by Schwarz IT KG for platform infrastructure, with no public API offering disclosed.

Operationally, PreZero maintains a modern fleet meeting Euro-6d/6e emissions standards with electric vehicle options and runs a multi-subsidiary structure spanning 35+ German legal entities covering battery recycling, ELV (end-of-life vehicles) circularity, pyrolysis, plastics pyrolysis/plastics recycling, bioenergy, sorting, and regional service operations. Recent strategic activity is acquisitive and expansive: 2025 acquisitions of Weisgerber's North Hesse operations and RE.LION.BAT. Circular (battery recycling), a strategic cooperation with AUNDE Group in textile recycling, a senior leadership appointment over the COLLECTION business unit, and the construction of a new administrative headquarters building in Porta Westfalica-Barkhausen.

Name

PreZero Deutschland

Legal name

PreZero Deutschland KG

Website

https://prezero.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

PreZero Deutschland is the circular economy subsidiary of Schwarz Group, providing integrated waste management, recycling, EPR licensing, and sustainability consulting to municipalities, businesses, and households across Germany through ~120 locations and ~4,800 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management and Recycling Services

NAICS

Other Nonhazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562219), Facilities Support Services (561210), Facilities Support Services (56121)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Wastewater Pretreatment & Treatment Services (BPALAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Pretreatment & Source Control Compliance (trade waste, discharge monitoring, enforcement) (EUANAJAG), Organic Waste Transfer & Pre-processing (Depackaging, Grinding, Contaminant Removal) (EUAIAEAB)

Keywords

• Waste management services
• Recycling services
• Circular economy solutions
• Environmental services
• EPR licensing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Porta Westfalica

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Waste Collection and Disposal Services: PreZero provides waste collection services for commercial, industrial, and municipal customers. Revenue is generated through service fees for waste collection, transport, and disposal. Municipal contracts are awarded through tender processes, while commercial customers typically have service agreements.
2. EPR Licensing Services: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) licensing for packaging (dual system), batteries, and electronics (WEEE). Manufacturers and distributors pay licensing fees for packaging materials placed on the market, which funds the collection and recycling system.
3. Recycling and Material Recovery: PreZero sorts and processes recyclable materials including aluminum, glass, plastics, wood, paper, and compost. Materials are either sold back to the market as secondary raw materials or processed for energy recovery.
4. Sustainability Consulting: Advisory services including PreZero.scope for carbon footprint measurement, Sustainable Packaging consulting, and general sustainability strategy development for corporate customers.
5. Energy Supply: Energy recovery from waste materials, supplying energy from processed waste streams.
6. Water Treatment Services: Industrial water treatment and water recycling services for commercial and industrial customers.
7. Consumer Container Services: Online shop container.online sells containers for various waste types including logistics and disposal. Consumer services for yellow bin (Gelbe Tonne) are funded through dual system fees embedded in product prices rather than direct household charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

PreZero Deutschland is a full-service environmental services provider operating approximately 120 locations in Germany as part of the Schwarz Group. The company delivers waste management (Entsorgungsmanagement), recycling, water treatment (Wasseraufbereitung), energy supply (Energieversorgung), Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) licensing, and sustainability consulting (Nachhaltigkeitsberatung) to commercial, industrial, municipal and household customers. Its offering is enabled by proprietary digital platforms — PreZero.scope, WasteEcoSavings, PreZero.weeeturn and the myprezero customer portal — that connect the physical collection and processing infrastructure with online customer engagement.

Product overview

PreZero Deutschland operates as a full-service environmental services provider offering an integrated portfolio of waste management, recycling, and sustainability solutions. The core offering centers on Entsorgungsmanagement (waste disposal management) covering commercial, industrial, municipal, and private customer segments, supported by comprehensive Recycling services for materials including plastics, glass, metal, and wood. EPR-Lizenzierung services handle Extended Producer Responsibility compliance for packaging, electronics (via PreZero.weeeturn), and batteries. The portfolio extends to specialized services including Wasseraufbereitung (water treatment), Film & Flexible Packaging recycling, Energieversorgung (energy supply), and Dekarbonisierung solutions including Avoided Emissions and WasteEcoSavings. Sustainability consulting is delivered through PreZero.scope, while Rohstoffversorgung ensures recovered materials re-enter production cycles. Customer-facing digital tools include the myprezero customer portal and container.online webshop. The company serves as part of the Schwarz Group's circular economy operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PreZero.scope: Sustainability consulting and carbon footprint analysis platform
• WEEE.turn
• WasteEcoSavings
• PreZero Heilbronn
• container.online
• myprezero

Products and services

• Entsorgungsmanagement (waste management services) Collection, transport, treatment and disposal of commercial, industrial and municipal waste streams across Germany, delivered through PreZero's national network of approximately 120 sites and tailored to waste type and customer site. Used by businesses, industrial operators and public-sector clients needing compliant disposal and documented material flows.
• Recycling services Sorting and processing of recyclable materials into secondary raw materials for use in new products, including closed-loop pilots such as the PET cycle used by Lidl's SB range. Serves B2B customers seeking verified recycled content and compliance with packaging and recycling regulations.
• EPR-Lizenzierung (Extended Producer Responsibility licensing) Licensing service that enables producers and first-fillers to fulfil their Extended Producer Responsibility obligations in Germany across packaging and related material categories. Used by companies that need to register packaging volumes, pay EPR fees and meet regulatory take-back obligations.
• Wasseraufbereitung (water treatment) Treatment of process and waste-water streams, often aligned with environmental services sites and industrial customers' compliance needs. Customers typically include industrial operators and municipalities with regulated water discharge obligations.
• Energieversorgung (energy supply) Supply of energy derived from waste-management and recycling operations, enabling customers to source energy with a documented renewable or recovered component as part of broader decarbonisation efforts.
• Nachhaltigkeitsberatung (sustainability consulting) Consulting on sustainability strategy, circular-economy roadmaps, EPR compliance, and reporting. Targets B2B customers in Germany needing guidance on regulatory and corporate sustainability programmes, supported by PreZero's own operational data.
• PreZero.scope digital platform Digital analytics platform that processes customer waste and recycling data to provide sustainability insights, reporting and optimisation recommendations. Aimed at B2B customers that need to translate operations data into sustainability KPIs and disclosures.
• WasteEcoSavings calculator Calculator tool that quantifies CO2, resource and cost savings from PreZero's waste and recycling services, enabling customers to evidence environmental impact in reports and tenders.
• myprezero customer portal Self-service portal where household and business customers manage their PreZero accounts, request services, and order waste-management support online. Forms the primary digital touchpoint for the B2C segment alongside the container.online shop.
• Container online shop Online shop embedded in the myprezero portal where German customers — primarily households with moves, renovations or clear-outs — can order appropriately sized waste containers and book collection services.
• PreZero.weeeturn employee engagement platform Engagement and gamification platform used by PreZero Deutschland staff to drive awareness and behavioural change around circular-economy topics. Distributed internally across the company's roughly 4,800 German employees as part of its people and culture programme.

Quantifiable outcome

• Recycling packaging waste into up to 14 different material types
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, operational and core.

• AUNDE GroupstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025AUNDE Group and PreZero have entered into a strategic cooperation for textile recycling. The partnership aims to develop and implement textile recycling solutions. Christian Prause (CFO AUNDE Group) and Ronald Bornée (Member of PreZero Germany Management) signed the cooperation agreement. The partnership focuses on closing the loop in textile supply chains through innovative recycling technologies.
• REMONDISoperationalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorREMONDIS operates as the contracted service provider for yellow bin (Gelbe Tonne) collection in Landkreis Heilbronn on behalf of PreZero. The partnership involves collection logistics and vehicle operations. All customer inquiries are routed through PreZero regardless of the REMONDIS branding on collection vehicles.
• Dual Systems (Duale Systeme)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreZero operates dual system collections for light packaging (LVP) as part of the German Green Dot dual system framework. Manufacturers pay licensing fees to dual systems which fund collection and recycling. PreZero collects packaging waste and receives compensation through dual system fees.
• Schwarz IT KGoperationalTechnology or IntegrationSchwarz IT KG provides IT infrastructure and support services for PreZero's website and digital platforms. As part of the Schwarz Group family, this internal partnership supports PreZero's digital operations.
• SAP Deutschland SE & Co. KGoperationalTechnology or IntegrationSAP provides the applicant tracking system (SAP SuccessFactors) for PreZero's career portal and recruitment processes. The HR/payroll systems are also SAP-based for employee management.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Renewi: UK and Benelux-focused waste-to-product company providing recycling and waste management services with comparable circular economy positioning. Adjacent geographic focus but overlapping capabilities in sorting, recycling, and secondary material production.
• Veolia Umweltservice: German arm of global environmental services giant Veolia, offering waste management, water services, and energy recovery. Larger parent with broader portfolio but operates directly in PreZero's German municipal and industrial collection segments.
• SUEZ Recycling and Recovery: French multinational (now part of Veolia) providing waste collection, recycling, and recovery services across Europe with German operations. Competes with PreZero in municipal contracts, commercial waste, and recycling services as part of a global environmental services portfolio.

Others

• TOMRA: Norwegian technology and sensor-based solutions provider enabling reverse vending and material sorting in waste and recycling streams. Not a direct competitor but supplies enabling technology PreZero may use in sorting facilities for packaging waste separation.

Regional players

• Stena Recycling: Swedish-based recycling and material recovery company with operations across Northern Europe, offering comparable metal, electronics, and material recycling services. Strong regional player in Nordic markets rather than directly competing in Germany.

Direct peers

• Nehlsen: German family-owned waste management and recycling company headquartered in Bremen with comparable regional service operations, material recovery facilities, and municipal contract portfolio across northern Germany.
• ALBA Group: Berlin-based integrated recycling and waste management services provider operating across Germany and Europe with comparable scale (~8,000 employees) and similar full-service environmental offerings including recycling, raw material supply, and waste disposal.
• REMONDIS: Germany's largest waste management and recycling company, operating across municipal collection, commercial waste, and material recovery. Directly comparable as both PreZero's most significant competitor and contracted operating partner for the Landkreis Heilbronn yellow bin service.
• FCC Environment: Central European waste management and recycling services provider with German operations serving municipal and commercial customers. Comparable full-service offering and competing for similar municipal collection contracts in Central Europe.
• Strabag Umwelttechnik: German environmental services subsidiary of Strabag, providing waste management, contaminated site remediation, and recycling services. Comparable full-service environmental offerings and competes for similar municipal and industrial contracts in Germany.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xxing.com/pages/prezero
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCw6ZFxx5JpemTckp9RclciQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/PreZero
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prezero-deutschland
• Instagraminstagram.com/prezero_deutschland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries44 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 PreZero Deutschland