What OVAM does

OVAM (Openbare Vlaamse Afvalstoffenmaatschappij), established in 1981 through the Flemish Waste Decree, is the Public Waste Agency of Flanders, a regional government agency operating under the Flanders Minister of the Environment. Its mandate covers sustainable waste and materials management, soil remediation and protection, and the transition to a circular economy in the Flanders region of Belgium, a jurisdiction of roughly 6.5 million inhabitants organized into five provinces and 300 municipalities. The agency serves Flemish municipalities, federal and EU-level bodies, and international partners, and it is recognized internationally as a frontrunner on these policy domains.

OVAM's operational model blends regulatory instruments, economic tools (including environmental levies introduced in 1987), and awareness-raising campaigns to implement policy. Its technical outputs include the Flaminco database cataloguing approximately 3,318 landfills, the Cedalion decision support tool and Orion dashboard for Dynamic Landfill Management (developed under the RAWFILL Horizon2020 project), and the Phytoremediation Code of Good Practice for plant-based soil remediation. The agency drives Circular Flanders, a public-private partnership embedded in OVAM since 2012 that unites government, industry, civil society, research institutes and financial institutions around making Flanders circular by 2050, and co-funds the CE Center (established 2021) as the scientific backbone for circular economy policy-making.

OVAM is not a commercial enterprise; it is funded through the Flemish government budget and does not generate or disclose commercial revenue. Its "go-to-market" is policy implementation through regional and municipal authorities, bilateral cooperation with the Netherlands, South Korea and (as of November 2025) North Rhine-Westphalia, and active participation in EU forums (Council working parties, ECESP Coordination Group since 2017, EU Presidency 2024), the UN Basel Convention, the UNEP International Resource Panel Steering Committee, and the OECD Working Party on Resource Productivity and Waste. CEO Werner Annaert leads the agency during a period of intensifying international positioning and scope expansion into emerging contaminants such as PFAS through the PARC partnership.

Name

OVAM

Legal name

OVAM - Openbare Vlaamse Afvalstoffenmaatschappij (The Public Waste Agency of Flanders)

Website

https://ovam-english.vlaanderen.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

OVAM is the Public Waste Agency of Flanders, a Belgian regional government agency founded in 1981 that develops and implements policy on sustainable waste and materials management, soil remediation, and the circular economy transition, serving 300 Flemish municipalities, EU institutions, and international partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Policy and Waste Management

NAICS

Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hazardous Waste & Universal Waste Handling (Batteries, Lamps, Aerosols) (BPABALAE), Waste & Resource Management (General Waste/Recycling/Composting) (IMAIAAAG)

Keywords

• Waste management policy
• Soil remediation
• Circular economy transition
• Sustainable materials management
• Environmental regulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Mechelen

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

OVAM is the Public Waste Agency of Flanders, established in 1981 as the first Flemish government agency. It develops and implements regional policy on sustainable waste management, sustainable materials management, soil remediation and prevention, and the transition to a circular economy. The agency delivers practical tools such as decision-support systems and databases for landfill management, and operates international partnerships and public-private initiatives like Circular Flanders to drive policy implementation across Flanders' 300 municipalities.

Product overview

OVAM (Openbare Vlaamse Afvalstoffenmaatschappij) is the Public Waste Agency of Flanders, a government agency established in 1981. Rather than a commercial product company, OVAM provides policy frameworks, decision-support tools, and international networks to advance sustainable waste management, materials policy, soil remediation, and circular economy transition. The organization operates through several interconnected initiatives including Circular Flanders (the public-private partnership hub), the CE Center (research backbone), and EmConSoil (international soil contaminant network). Key tools include Cedalion and Orion for Dynamic Landfill Management, along with participation in numerous European projects like KARMA, ICEBERG, LIVES, Cmartlife, and PARC focused on circular economy, construction materials, litter prevention, and PFAS risk assessment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cedalion Decision Support Tool
• Orion Dashboard
• Flaminco Landfill Database
• Phytoremediation Code of Good Practice

Quantifiable outcome

• Belgium leads the EU in terms of transition to circular economy according to comparative study published in Waste Management & Research
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• North Rhine-Westphalia (Circular Valley Forum)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2025During the Circular Valley Forum in Wuppertal, responsible ministers of Flanders, the Netherlands, and North Rhine-Westphalia signed a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDOI) to deepen cooperation on circular economy. The three regions aim to leverage their strong industrial base and shared policy ambitions to develop the cross-border area into a leading European transregional hub for the circular economy.
• Circular FlanderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircular Flanders is a dynamic public-private partnership that serves as the hub and inspiration for the transition to a circular economy in Flanders. Embedded in OVAM since 2012, it consists of governments, companies, civil society, research institutes and financial institutions acting together to make Flanders circular by 2050. The partnership covers themes including Plastics and chemicals, Circular construction, Food chain, Bioeconomy, Water, and Manufacturing. The Circular Economy Policy Research Center (CE Center) is also part of this partnership.
• Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVVSG represents all 300 Flemish municipalities and cities. Together with Interafval, VVSG is legally mandated to operate and steer local waste management in Flanders.
• InterafvalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership of Flemish inter-municipal waste companies. Legally mandated, together with VVSG, to operate and steer local waste management.
• Netherlands (Bilateral Cooperation)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOVAM enjoys structural bilateral cooperation with colleagues from the environmental administrations of the Netherlands, sharing knowledge, policy insights and good practices in waste and materials policy.
• South Korea (Bilateral Cooperation)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOVAM enjoys structural bilateral cooperation with colleagues from the environmental administrations of South Korea, sharing knowledge, policy insights and good practices in waste and materials policy.
• European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOVAM has been a member of the ECESP Coordination Group since 2017. The platform, hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee and European Commission, offers stakeholder dialogue, exchange of knowledge and best practices, and discussion on accelerating the transition to circular economy. OVAM's thematic focus areas are circular procurement and textiles.
• ACR+ (International Network of Cities and Regions)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOVAM is a member of ACR+, an international network of cities and regions sharing the aim of promoting sustainable resource management and accelerating the transition towards a circular economy in their territories and beyond.
• Common Forum on Contaminated LandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA network of contaminated land policy-makers, regulators and technical advisers from environmental authorities of EU Member States and EFTA countries. OVAM plays an active role and represents Flanders at annual meetings, workshops and events. The Common Forum drives the International Committee on Contaminated Land (ICCL), present in more than 70 countries.
• UN Basel ConventioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOVAM acts as the national contact point for the UN Basel Convention and represents Belgium in the Working Party International Environment Issues Basel (WPIEI Basel), a technical working group in the Environment Council (ENVI) that prepares EU positions and negotiations on transboundary movement of waste.
• International Resource Panel (IRP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOVAM represents Belgium in the Steering Committee of the UNEP International Resource Panel. The IRP was launched in 2007 to build and share knowledge needed to improve resource use worldwide, steering away from overconsumption, waste and ecological harm towards a more prosperous and sustainable future.
• OECD Working Party on Resource Productivity and WastemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOVAM represents Belgium in the OECD Working Party on Resource Productivity and Waste and is a member of the WPRPW Bureau. The OECD promotes sustainable use of materials to reduce negative environmental impacts and encourages resource efficiency and the transition towards a circular economy.
• EmConSoil NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmConSoil (Emerging Soil Contaminant governance & policy) is an international multi-stakeholder network initiated by OVAM in 2018. It unites industry, researchers, policymakers, and citizen groups to address challenges of emerging soil contaminants. The network exchanges knowledge, develops strategies and policies, raises awareness, and intensifies collaboration through conferences, workshops, and newsletters.
• ICEBERG Project ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Horizon2020 project on Circular Economy of Building Materials with 35 partners looking for innovative circular economy solutions that demonstrate efficient recovery of valuable material resources from end-of-life building materials.
• KARMA Project PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn Interreg Europe project in which Flanders Circular/OVAM partners with regional partners from Italy, Hungary, Romania, and Germany. The project aims to strengthen local climate policy through circular construction, exploring synergies between the Local Energy and Climate Pact and circular strategies in building, producing and consuming.
• RAWFILL Project ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped a comprehensive methodology to support new business models addressing resource recovery and rehabilitation potential of landfills, including an inventory framework, decision-support tools, and innovative landfill characterisation using geophysical investigations.
• VITO (Flemish Institute for Technological Research)majorTechnology or IntegrationVITO is a key research partner for OVAM. During Indonesian delegation visits, participants were introduced to Flanders' waste and materials policy including initiatives such as Circular Flanders and the work of VITO. VITO also provided expertise for landfill context-related data.
• Cmartlife (LIFE Integrated Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLIFE Integrated Project for a Circular Material Approach on Residual waste Targets and a Litter Free Environment.
• REGENERATIS ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA North-West Europe project focused on regeneration of past metallurgical sites and deposits through innovative circularity for raw materials. Critical raw materials and other valuable resources can be extracted from landfills and former metallurgy sites using innovative techniques.
• CREAToR Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Europe-wide consortium that aims to create a circular economy by removing hazardous flame retardants from plastic waste and reusing the purified material in high-value applications.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency: The Netherlands' planning bureau for the environment provides strategic analyses and policy assessments on circular economy, materials, and natural resources. PBL is comparable to the CE Center's role within OVAM, producing the scientific backbone that informs regional/national circular-economy policy.
• ADEME (Agence de la transition écologique): France's national ecological-transition agency drives waste prevention, circular economy, and soil/site remediation policy and programs under government authority. ADEME is comparable to OVAM in its mix of policy regulation, funding programs, decision-support tools, and PPP-style convening of industry around the circular economy.
• UBA (Umweltbundesamt) - German Federal Environment Agency: Germany's federal environment agency is the closest structural analog to OVAM: a government authority providing scientific support, policy advice, and regulation on waste, soil, and circular economy at a national/regional level. It is directly comparable in mandate, instruments (regulation, economic tools, awareness), and engagement with EU forums.
• Rijkswaterstaat: Part of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Rijkswaterstaat combines infrastructure, environmental, and waste-related policy execution at a national level. It is comparable as a government executive agency with regulatory tools and bilateral cooperation with OVAM (the NL–Flanders circular-economy track).
• RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment): The Netherlands' expert institute on public health, environment, and sustainability provides scientific advice, monitoring, and policy support similar to the role the CE Center and OVAM's research partnerships play for Flanders. RIVM is OVAM's natural Dutch counterpart in soil contamination, materials, and circular-economy science.
• VMM (Vlaamse Milieumaatschappij - Flemish Environment Agency): The Flemish Environment Agency, also headquartered in Mechelen and operating under the Flemish government, is OVAM's direct regional sister agency focused on water, air quality, and climate reporting. It is the most direct domestic peer, with overlapping environmental remit and shared government counterparties.

Others

• ACR+ (Association of Cities and Regions for sustainable Resource management): International network of cities and regions for sustainable resource management and circular economy, of which OVAM is a member. It is an ecosystem/peer-network participant rather than a direct competitor, but is comparable in mission and stakeholder base.

Emerging players

• Circle Economy: Amsterdam-based circular-economy impact organization producing the Circularity Gap Report and advising governments on circular-economy transition. Circle Economy is comparable to OVAM/Circular Flanders in agenda-setting and measurement work (e.g., CE Center's circularity indicators) but operates as a private foundation rather than a government agency.

Broad incumbents

• DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs): UK government department responsible for waste, soil, and circular-economy policy. It is comparable to OVAM at the policy/regulatory layer, but operates at a national scale and a broader portfolio, making it a broad incumbent rather than a regional peer.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): The US federal environmental regulator covers waste, soil remediation (e.g., Superfund), and circular-economy policy. It is a broad incumbent in scale and scope; while not a regional peer, it is the most globally recognized analog to OVAM's combined waste + soil + circular-economy mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ovam
• Xx.com/OVAMVL

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about OVAM