What Entsorgung Herne does

Entsorgung Herne AöR is a German municipal public corporation (Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts) wholly owned by the City of Herne in North Rhine-Westphalia, providing integrated waste management, recycling, street cleaning, and winter road maintenance services. Operations trace back to 1907, with the entity established in 2001, and today the company and its wholly-owned subsidiary Wertstoffrecycling eh GmbH employ approximately 220 staff. The service portfolio spans scheduled multi-stream collection — residual waste (Restmülltonne), bio waste (Biotonne, processed in a biogas plant), paper and cardboard (Blaue Tonne, free of charge to residents, deployed at ~18,000 properties or ~64% of Herne properties), and the Wertstofftonne for plastics/metals — plus a permanent Wertstoffhof recycling center, bulky-waste (Sperrmüll) pick-up with an online booking portal, mobile hazardous-waste collection, glass/textile/electrical-appliance streams, container rental up to 5,000 litres, and approximately 900+ km of street cleaning and winter service. Supporting infrastructure includes an iOS/Android app, an address-based Abfallkalender, and an underground-container (Unterflursystem) pilot.

The underlying technology stack combines conventional municipal waste-collection vehicles with pioneering low-emission units: the Bucher Municipal Citycat 2020 ev (deployed 2017, described as the world's first electric compact sweeper, 56 kWh battery, ~26 tonnes CO2 saved annually) and a hydrogen fuel-cell waste-collection vehicle pilot with Kommunale Servicebetriebe Recklinghausen and Faun (data collection from April 2019), using hydrogen produced at AGR. Bookings, route optimization (with adiutaByte), and citizen-facing digital tools are handled through integrations with GiroSolution (payment processing), giropay (including ID-based age verification), and Eye-Able (BITV NRW accessibility compliance).

Revenue is generated primarily through regulated municipal waste-collection fees set under the city's Abfallgebührensatzung, billed as recurring subscriptions per bin, supplemented by per-unit charges for extra waste bags (€4.50 each), commercial container rental, and Sperrmüll bookings. The customer base is dominated by private households in Herne, with a secondary commercial-and-industrial segment served via the Containerdienst and Gewerbliche Siedlungsabfälle offerings. As an AöR, the entity is structured as a non-profit municipal utility prioritizing sustainability, resource conservation, and climate protection over profit maximization.

Name

Entsorgung Herne

Legal name

Entsorgung Herne AöR

Website

https://entsorgung-herne.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Entsorgung Herne is a municipal public corporation (AöR) wholly owned by the City of Herne, Germany, providing regulated waste collection, recycling, street cleaning, and winter road services to approximately 28,000 residential properties and local commercial customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Waste Management

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (5621), Materials Recovery Facilities (56292), Other Waste Collection (562119), Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562211)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Works / In-House Municipal Collection Operations (EUAIAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Street & Public-Space Litter Collection (Bins, Parks, Transit) (EUAIAAAG), Organics (Food/Yard) Collection (Residential & Commercial) (EUAIAAAO), Bulky Item & White Goods Collection (EUAIAAAH), Street & Public Space Litter Collection (Municipal Cleaning) (BPALAAAE), Municipal Solid Waste Collection (Residential/Commercial) (IMAIAFAA), Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection & Transfer (BPALABAF)

Keywords

• Municipal waste management
• Recycling collection services
• Street cleaning services
• Bulky waste collection
• Waste collection utility

Headquarters

HQ city

Herne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Waste Collection Fees: Municipal waste fees regulated by Abfallgebührensatzung (waste fee ordinance) for the city of Herne. Fees cover residual waste, bio waste, paper, and recyclables collection services.
2. Additional Services: Revenue from additional paid services including extra waste bags (4.50€ per bag), container rental for commercial properties, and transport services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Entsorgung Herne operates the municipal waste-management and street-cleaning infrastructure for the city of Herne, providing scheduled curbside collection of residual, organic, paper, and recyclable waste streams to households and commercial properties, a permanent Wertstoffhof (recycling center) for drop-off, bulky-waste (Sperrmüll) collection including an online booking and payment portal, street cleaning and winter maintenance for approximately 900 km of roads, leaf and seasonal garden-waste collection, and separate collection services for electrical appliances, glass, textiles, and hazardous waste. As a public-law institution (Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts), it holds the exclusive municipal concession for these services in Herne.

Product overview

Entsorgung Herne is a municipal waste management utility (Anstalt öffentlichen Rechts) providing comprehensive waste collection, disposal, and street cleaning services for the city of Herne. Its core offering is a multi-stream waste collection system comprising separate bins for residual waste, organic waste (Biotonne), paper/cardboard (Papiertonne), and recyclables (Wertstofftonne), complemented by scheduled collections for bulky waste, electrical appliances, glass, textiles, and hazardous materials. The service portfolio also includes a permanent Wertstoffhof (recycling center), container rental for commercial use, and street cleaning/winter maintenance for approximately 900 km of roads. Supporting digital services include a web-based Sperrmüll Online booking portal, a mobile app with personalized waste calendars and collection reminders, and an online Abfallkalender. The company operates a fleet including hydrogen-powered vehicle pilot projects and electric sweepers, reflecting its sustainability mandate. With around 220 employees, it also runs sustainability education programs, a swap/give-away market, and garden waste collection events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Restmülltonne (Residual Waste Bin) Curbside collection service for residual household waste that cannot be recycled. Waste is transported to RZR Herten for thermal recycling and converted into energy and heat. Available in 660L and 1,100L container sizes with weekly or bi-weekly collection; intended for residential and small commercial properties in Herne.
• Papiertonne / Blaue Tonne (Paper Bin) Household-level separate collection of paper, cardboard and cartons via a dedicated blue bin, provided free of charge and collected every four weeks. Approximately 64% of properties in Herne are equipped with a paper bin.
• Biotonne (Organic Waste Bin) Collection service for organic kitchen and garden waste. Organic waste is processed in a biogas plant to produce climate-friendly electricity and high-quality compost. Available in 80L, 120L and 240L container sizes with bi-weekly collection; offered to Herner households at a lower fee than the residual-waste bin.
• Wertstofftonne (Recycling Bin) Separate bi-weekly collection of plastics and metals in a dedicated bin, replacing the Gelber Sack (yellow bag) system for participating households as part of a selective waste-collection model project in Herne.
• Sperrmüll (Bulky Waste Collection) Collection service for bulky household waste items that do not fit in regular bins. Customers book appointments through the Sperrmüll Online portal for scheduled curbside pickup in their district.
• Sperrmüll Online (Bulky Waste Booking Portal) Web-based appointment-booking service for bulky-waste collection. Customers can book, manage and pay for Sperrmüll appointments online, including giropay-based payment and optional giropay ID age/identity verification.
• Elektrogeräte (Electrical Appliance Collection) Collection and proper disposal of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), from small appliances to large white goods, either via drop-off at the Wertstoffhof or through scheduled pickup for Herne residents.
• Schadstoffmobil (Hazardous Waste Mobile Collection) Mobile hazardous-waste collection service for household hazardous materials such as paints, batteries and chemicals, available at a limited number of scheduled city-wide stops each year for Herne residents.
• Altglas (Glass Collection) Separate collection of glass packaging waste via depot containers placed throughout the city, color-sorted (white, green, brown) for Herne residents.
• Alttextilsammlung (Textile Collection) Collection service for old textiles and clothing via dedicated containers placed throughout Herne for proper recycling or reuse.
• Wertstoffhof (Recycling Center) Permanent recycling center at Meesmannstraße in Herne where citizens can drop off a wide range of recyclable and hazardous materials, including bulky waste, electrical appliances and green waste. The facility is equipped with solar energy, geothermy and rainwater harvesting for sustainable operation (recognized by the Grüner Wertstoffhof award from the State of North Rhine-Westphalia).
• Straßenreinigung (Street Cleaning) Municipal street-cleaning service including mechanical sweeping of approximately 900 km of roads using electric and conventional sweepers, with frequencies from weekly in residential areas to daily in pedestrian zones. Operates the Citycat 2020 ev electric sweeper, saving approximately 26 tonnes CO2 per year versus a diesel unit.
• Winterdienst (Winter Road Maintenance) Winter road-maintenance service ensuring traffic safety during winter conditions, including snow removal and salting of roads and sidewalks across the city of Herne.
• Laubsammlung (Leaf Collection) Seasonal collection of fallen leaves from approximately 12,000 street trees in Herne, using dedicated leaf containers (approx. 440–500 units) and collection vehicles, collecting over 2,000 tonnes of leaves annually.
• Containerdienst (Container Service) Rental and delivery of waste containers in various sizes (up to 5,000L) for commercial properties, construction sites and large properties, used for garden/park waste and bulky items.
• Gewerbliche Siedlungsabfälle (Commercial Waste Collection) Tailored waste-collection service for commercial and industrial businesses in Herne, including separate collection of paper, cardboard and recyclables for Gewerbebetriebe.
• Entsorgung Herne App (iOS/Android) Mobile application for iOS and Android providing personalized waste-collection calendars, next-collection-date reminders, container-location maps and a function to report illegal dumping for Herne residents.
• Abfallkalender (Waste Collection Calendar) Online waste-collection calendar that lets Herne citizens look up collection dates by entering their address; integrates with the Entsorgung Herne mobile app and includes route maps for container locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 26 tonnes CO2 saved annually per electric sweeping vehicle
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wertstoffrecycling eh GmbHcoreOthersWholly-owned subsidiary company responsible for yellow bag distribution and collection, as well as Wertstofftonne (recycling bin) services since January 2016.
• Kommunale Servicebetriebe RecklinghausencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project partner for developing hydrogen-powered waste collection vehicles. Both municipalities plan to test H2 waste collection trucks starting 2020.
• Fa. FauncoreTechnology or IntegrationVehicle technology company developing hydrogen-powered waste collection vehicles for the joint project with Herne and Recklinghausen.
• AGR (Abfallentsorgungsgesellschaft Ruhrgebiet)coreTechnology or IntegrationWaste processing company where Herner residual waste is incinerated. Also provides hydrogen fuel for H2 collection vehicle project.
• Duale Systeme (Der Grüne Punkt, Duales System Deutschland, Interseroh)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDual systems responsible for financing and coordinating yellow bag/yellow bin collection and recycling in Germany.
• Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft Herne (WFG)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEconomic development corporation partnering for community outreach events like Wanner Mondnächte.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stadtreinigung Hamburg (SRH): Hamburg's municipal waste and street cleaning utility. Direct peer offering curbside multi-stream collection, bulky waste collection, Wertstoffhöfe, and winter service under a regulated fee model — comparable service portfolio and operating model.
• Münchner Abfallwirtschaftsbetrieb (AWM): Munich's municipal waste management utility. Direct peer operating Hausmüllabfuhr, Biotonne, Wertstoffhöfe, and problem waste collection under a city-owned model, with comparable digital booking and citizen-facing service infrastructure.
• Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR): Berlin's municipal waste management and street cleaning utility. Direct peer as a German municipal waste collection and street cleaning AöR/landesbetrieb with multi-stream collection, bulky waste booking, and public fleet operations — at much larger scale but structurally identical.
• WBO Wirtschaftsbetriebe Oberhausen: Oberhausen's municipal waste management entity. Direct peer — same Ruhr region, similar mid-sized-city scope, multi-stream curbside collection plus street cleaning and winter service under city ownership.
• USB Umweltservice Bochum: Neighboring Bochum municipal waste utility — most geographic-comparable peer. Operates multi-stream curbside collection, Sperrmüll service, Wertstoffhof, and street cleaning for an adjacent Ruhr city with similar demographic and infrastructure profile.
• AWB Abfallwirtschaftsbetriebe Köln: Cologne's municipal waste management operations. Direct peer delivering multi-stream curbside collection, recycling centers, bulky waste appointments, and hazardous waste collection for a major German city, with similar AöR/regulatory structure.
• Kommunale Servicebetriebe Recklinghausen (KSR): Recklinghausen's municipal service operations — existing joint partner on the H2 vehicle pilot. Direct peer operating waste collection, street cleaning, and green-space maintenance under a city-owned structure in the adjacent Recklinghausen district.

Broad incumbents

• Remondis: Germany's largest private waste management company. Already a partner (operates Bochum transfer station receiving yellow bag materials from Entsorgung Herne). Broad incumbent with comparable collection, recycling, and disposal services across Germany and Europe — represents the private-sector competitive benchmark.
• PreZero (Schwarz Group): One of Europe's largest environmental service providers, owned by the Schwarz Group. Broad incumbent offering integrated waste collection, sorting, and recycling at national scale — competitive pressure and operational benchmark for municipal utilities like Entsorgung Herne.

Others

• AGR Abfallentsorgungsgesellschaft Ruhrgebiet: Ruhr regional waste processing company — existing core partner. Owns RZR Herten (receives Herne's residual waste for thermal recycling) and supplies hydrogen for the joint H2 vehicle pilot. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct collection competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Entsorgung Herne