GBN
GBN Groep B.V., a privately held Utrecht-based circular materials company founded in 1998, processes construction, demolition, contaminated soil, and railway ballast waste streams into certified secondary raw materials for Dutch municipalities, utilities, and civil engineering contractors across 12+ processing locations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersUtrecht, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What GBN does
GBN Groep B.V. is a privately held Dutch circular materials company headquartered in Utrecht, founded in 1998, that processes construction, demolition, infrastructure, and contaminated-soil waste streams into certified secondary raw materials. The company serves municipalities, provincial governments, utilities, and civil engineering contractors, accepting material from infrastructure projects and redeploying it as certified circular products including Circugrind/Circuzand/Circument aggregates (via C2CA Technology co-developed with TU Delft), Vandolith cement-bound immobilisate from contaminated soils, cleaned railway ballast meeting ProRail's SPC-00033 specification, and circular infill sand and granulates from end-of-life artificial grass.
GBN's technology stack is built around four proprietary or co-developed processing capabilities: C2CA on-site concrete fractionation, Vandolith micron-level immobilization of contaminants, certified rail ballast cleaning installations in Roosendaal and Sappemeer, and the Netherlands' first artificial grass recycling facility in Amsterdam (operational since 2020). Operations are distributed across 12+ processing locations and depots, with revenue generated through transaction fees on material intake, sales of certified secondary construction materials, professional services via GBN Advies en Transitie, and rail infrastructure processing fees. Multiple revenue lines are operated through joint ventures — Grondstoffen Recycling Weert (with De Bloem-Group Panheel), Grondstoffen Recycling Burgum (with De Boer Burgum), and GBD Grondstoffen Alliantie (with Bontrup and Dirix).
The business model combines direct enterprise sales to project developers and government organizations with an inside-sales support function in Utrecht. All material outputs are delivered under sector-specific certifications (NL-BSB, BRL 9335, BRL 2506, Besluit Bodemkwaliteit, SPC-00033), which together form a meaningful barrier to entry. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Long-tenured framework contracts — including a 2025 four-year agreement with Enexis Netbeheer and Watermaatschappij Limburg (with an eight-year extension option) — provide multi-year revenue visibility, and the company's stated 'Mount 2030' goal is to reduce primary raw material use by 50% by 2030, aligned with the Dutch national 'Nederland Circulair' program.
GBN firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GBN
- Legal name
- GBN Groep B.V.
- Website
- https://gbn.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- GBN Groep B.V., a privately held Utrecht-based circular materials company founded in 1998, processes construction, demolition, contaminated soil, and railway ballast waste streams into certified secondary raw materials for Dutch municipalities, utilities, and civil engineering contractors across 12+ processing locations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GBN industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Construction Materials Recycling
- NAICS
- Materials Recovery Facilities (56292), Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562211), Waste Collection (5621)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)
- akta.pro primary industry
- C&D Transfer Stations & Consolidation (BPALAJAB)
Keywords
Where GBN is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Utrecht
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices9 records
Markets served
GBN business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Circular Material Processing Services: GBN processes waste streams from construction and infrastructure projects into certified circular raw materials. Services include acceptance, management, and processing of soil and sludge from customer projects, with full chain management from intake to delivery of secondary construction materials.
- Secondary Construction Material Sales: Production and sale of circular construction materials including topsoil, tree soil, sand, clay, mixed granulate, concrete granulate 4-22 and 0-4, and specialized products like Vandolith immobilisate. Materials are sold with appropriate certifications (BRL 9335, NL-BSB, SPC-00033).
- Advisory and Transition Services: GBN Advies en Transitie provides strategic consulting, project/program management, and chain coordination services to help governments and companies transition to circular construction economics. Services include consultancy assignments, strategic advice, and secondment.
- Rail Infrastructure Services: Processing of railway ballast from Dutch railway renewal projects, with cleaned ballast primarily deployed for new or renovated railways. Additional products (sand and gravel) are sold for concrete, asphalt, and substructure applications.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
GBN product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GBN handles the intake, processing, and recycling of soil, construction, and demolition materials in the Netherlands, converting these waste streams into certified circular raw materials and secondary construction products. The company operates a nationwide network of processing facilities handling concrete, contaminated soil, railway ballast, and end-of-life artificial grass, complemented by advisory and transition services for circular construction economics.
Product overview
GBN offers a comprehensive suite of circular economy solutions for the construction and infrastructure sectors in the Netherlands. The portfolio centers on circular material processing including Circulair beton (circular concrete using C2CA Technology developed with TU Delft), Circulaire grond (circular soil/ground), Circulaire bouwstof/Vandolith® (circular construction materials through immobilization), Circulaire spoorballast (circular railway ballast), and Circulair kunstgras (circular artificial grass recycling). These core products are complemented by Advies en Transitie consulting services, an Impact Report for tracking circular economy progress, and a network of recycling facilities including Grondstoffen Recycling Hoorn, Grondstoffen Recycling Weert, Grondstoffen Recycling Burgum, TOP Roosendaal, and specialized operations like GBN Artificial Grass Recycling (the first artificial grass processing factory in the Netherlands, established 2020) and Ballast Recycling Roosendaal. The offering is structured as a platform-plus-modules architecture where the core circular material processing services are the primary offering, with advisory services and impact reporting as complementary add-ons, and regional recycling facilities as specialized sub-brands.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Vandolith: Cement-bound secondary construction material produced from metal-contaminated soil and mineral waste streams, certified under NL-BSB BRL-9322. Used as foundation and subgrade material for roads, parking lots, and industrial floors.
- C2CA Technology
- GBN Artificial Grass Recycling (AGR)
- GBN Sustainable Solutions
Products and services
- Circulair Beton (Circular Concrete) Processing and recycling of end-of-life concrete into high-quality circular raw materials for new concrete production, using C2CA Technology developed with TU Delft. Serves construction companies, infrastructure contractors, and concrete producers.
- Vandolith
Quantifiable outcome
- 230 million tons of concrete waste generated annually in the EU - GBN's C2CA technology provides regional high-value circular solutions
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use GBN
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
GBN technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
GBN partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- TU DelftcoreLong-standing research partnership with TU Delft for development of circular concrete technologies. GBN collaborated with the university to develop C2CA (Concrete to Cement & Aggregates) Technology, which spun off as a separate company in 2016. GBN continues to work with TU Delft on innovation projects including EU-funded VEEP and ICEBERG projects.
- C2CA TechnologycoreC2CA Technology originated in 2016 as a spin-off from the collaboration between GBN and TU Delft. The company commercializes the C2CA technology for on-site concrete recycling. GBN continues to develop and deploy this technology for circular concrete processing.
- Staatsbosbeheercore10-year Design, Build & Maintenance partnership (2015-2025) for Hoge Bergse Bos project. GBN replaced and sustainable developed the living layer of four former landfill hills and delivered recreational facilities including mountain bike course, access roads, parking, and foot/cycle paths.
- Molhoek Infratechniek B.V.minorInfrastructure contractor partner in Hoge Bergse Bos recreational development project.
- Koninklijke Ginkel GroepminorLandscape development partner in Hoge Bergse Bos project.
- UnihornminorProject partner in Hoge Bergse Bos project completion celebration.
- Enexis NetbeheercoreFramework agreement partner for processing excess soil from utility network replacement projects in Limburg. 4-year contract (Sept 2025 - Dec 2029) with 8-year extension option. Part of 'Raamovereenkomst Overtollig Grond' signed December 2025.
- Watermaatschappij Limburg (WML)coreFramework agreement partner for processing excess soil from water network replacement in Limburg. Part of the same framework agreement as Enexis Netbeheer for the 'Raamovereenkomst Overtollig Grond'.
- Bontrup Exploitatie B.V.corePartner in GBD Grondstoffen Alliantie (GBD) joint alliance for processing excess soil in Limburg region. GBD provides multiple intake, processing, certification, and redeployment locations across North and South Limburg.
- Dirix B.V.corePartner in GBD Grondstoffen Alliantie (GBD) joint alliance for processing excess soil in Limburg region. GBD leverages multiple regional locations to minimize transport distances.
- KWSminorPartner in Grondbank West Brabant for Dassenplas project - rehabilitation of former sand extraction site into nature-rich water area using soil and sludge from regional projects.
- De Bloem-Group PanheelminorJoint venture partner in Grondstoffen Recycling Weert B.V. for processing stony construction and demolition waste into circular raw materials.
- De Boer Burgum B.V.minorJoint venture partner in Grondstoffen Recycling Burgum B.V. operational since July 1, 2017.
- Zandexploitatie Westfriesland HoornminorStrategic cooperation enabling GBN to supply all required sand types from Grondstoffen Recycling Hoorn location.
- GBN Artificial Grass Recycling (AGR) ConsortiumcoreAlliance of eight cooperating artificial grass suppliers and contractors established in 2019 to ensure transparent, circular, and responsible disposal of old artificial grass mats. Led to creation of first artificial grass recycling factory in Netherlands (2020).
- JustdiggitminorGBN donated 50 'bunds' (half-moon shaped pits that capture rainwater and combat erosion) as part of Hoge Bergse Bos project completion celebration. Each bund greens 124 m² and captures 2,100 liters of water per rainfall.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
GBN competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Van Vliet Groep: Dutch demolition and recycling group with integrated processing of C&D waste streams into reusable aggregates and soils. Comparable to GBN in offering combined demolition, processing and certified secondary materials for Dutch construction projects.
- Theo Pouw Group: Dutch specialist in demolition, concrete recycling and production of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) from C&D waste. Closely comparable to GBN's C2CA-based circular concrete business and certified aggregate supply.
- Vandersanden: Dutch brick and masonry producer that uses secondary raw materials in its circular product lines and operates in the same circular building products space. Comparable circular construction materials peer to GBN's Vandolith and secondary materials offering.
- Renewi: Major Dutch waste and recycling company with broad C&D, soil and secondary materials operations across the Netherlands and Belgium. Direct competitor to GBN in C&D recycling, soil processing and circular construction materials supply.
- Struyk Verwo Infra: Dutch concrete products manufacturer (pavers, tiles, infrastructure products) with circular product lines using recycled aggregates. Direct peer to GBN's secondary construction materials business serving Dutch civil engineering and infrastructure customers.
- AVR (Afvalverwerking Rijnmond): Dutch waste processing company operating incineration, processing and recycling facilities in the Rotterdam region. Comparable as a Dutch waste/materials processing peer with overlapping recycling and circular materials capabilities.
Others
- Royal BAM Group: Major Dutch construction and infrastructure group with circular construction initiatives and C&D material reuse programs. Adjacent peer as a major customer/ecosystem player that influences Dutch circular construction procurement alongside GBN.
Broad incumbents
- SUEZ Recycling and Recovery Netherlands: Dutch operations of global waste major SUEZ, providing C&D and soil recycling plus secondary materials at scale. Comparable as a broad incumbent competitor with overlapping circular materials capabilities versus GBN's specialist footprint.
- Heidelberg Materials Netherlands (Mebin): Major Dutch concrete and aggregates producer with growing circular product lines incorporating recycled aggregates. Overlaps with GBN's circular concrete (C2CA) and aggregate supply, but operates as a broad materials incumbent.
Emerging players
- Inashco: Dutch specialist in metallurgical residue processing and dust recycling from waste-to-energy and steel streams. Emerging player with comparable circular residual-stream processing technology, though focused on metals rather than soil/aggregate.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
GBN social profiles
Digital presenceGBN compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
GBN financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GBN leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
GBN subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
GBN funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GBN 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 GBN
What does GBN do?
GBN handles the intake, processing, and recycling of soil, construction, and demolition materials in the Netherlands, converting these waste streams into certified circular raw materials and secondary construction products. The company operates a nationwide network of processing facilities handling concrete, contaminated soil, railway ballast, and end-of-life artificial grass, complemented by advisory and transition services for circular construction economics.
Is GBN a public or private company?
GBN is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was GBN founded?
GBN was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is GBN based?
GBN is headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does GBN make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Circular Material Processing Services are the primary driver. The others are secondary Construction Material Sales, advisory and Transition Services and rail Infrastructure Services.
Who are GBN's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Van Vliet Groep, Theo Pouw Group, Vandersanden, Renewi, Struyk Verwo Infra and AVR (Afvalverwerking Rijnmond). Royal BAM Group is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are SUEZ Recycling and Recovery Netherlands and Heidelberg Materials Netherlands (Mebin). Inashco is listed as an emerging player.
Does GBN have an API?
No public API is recorded for GBN.
What industry is GBN in?
GBN's product category is Construction Materials Recycling. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPALAJAB, C&D Transfer Stations & Consolidation. Its NAICS code is 56292 and its SIC code is 4953.