Zweckverband Abfallwirtschaft

What Zweckverband Abfallwirtschaft does

Zweckverband Abfallwirtschaft (ZVA) is a public-law corporation (Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts) jointly established by charter on 11 June 1979 by the Stadt Erlangen and the Landkreis Erlangen-Höchstadt to provide integrated waste disposal and recycling services across both municipal territories. It holds an exclusive statutory mandate covering approximately 250,000 residents and operates three physical facilities: the Müllumladestation Erlangen (a waste transfer station handling ~40,000 tonnes/year against a 60,000-tonne capacity, rail-connected to waste-to-energy plants in Bamberg and Coburg), the Deponie Herzogenaurach (an 11-hectare active landfill with an integrated Wertstoffhof and federal-funded gas extraction system), and the Wertstoffhof Medbach (a recycling center at a landfill in 30-year post-closure aftercare since 2014). The ZVA operates six days per week and accepts household waste, bulky waste, recyclables, hazardous waste up to 20 liters free, asbestos, and construction debris under published fee schedules. Its commercial waste business is complemented by a Spendenregal second-life donation program and educational school tours.

The underlying technology base is industrial rather than digital: physical infrastructure for landfill gas extraction, leachate management, rail-based waste-to-energy dispatch, and noise-reducing freight wagons. The business model combines three revenue streams: (1) transaction-fee waste disposal charges ranging from free (small recyclables) to €230/t for general disposal, with flat-rate options (€5 trunk-load, €10 Kombi, €20 small loads); (2) recyclable-material processing fees at €45–€120/t depending on material category, with the first 1 m³ free; and (3) Verbandsumlage — an association levy on the two member municipalities calculated by waste quantity delivered — used to cover any funding shortfall. Fees are set by the Verbandsversammlung and published in official gazettes; collection and curbside pickup remain the responsibility of the member municipalities, which then deliver waste to ZVA facilities.

Operationally, ZVA runs with a small core administrative team of 1–10 staff under Geschäftsführerin Silke Knörlein (since 2009), with most operational work contracted to external providers and member-municipality services. Governance is exercised by the Verbandsversammlung chaired by Erlangen's Oberbürgermeister Dr. Florian Janik, with Landrat Alexander Tritthart as deputy. The ZVA carries no private equity, no commercial shareholders, and no M&A history — it is a non-profit public utility whose strategic decisions are driven by Bavarian and federal environmental regulation rather than market competition.

Name

Zweckverband Abfallwirtschaft

Legal name

Zweckverband Abfallwirtschaft in der Stadt Erlangen und im Landkreis Erlangen-Höchstadt

Website

https://zva-erlangen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Zweckverband Abfallwirtschaft is a German public-law municipal waste utility, jointly owned by Stadt Erlangen and Landkreis Erlangen-Höchstadt, providing integrated disposal, recycling, and hazardous-waste services to approximately 250,000 residents across three facilities since 1979.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Waste Management Services

NAICS

Waste Treatment and Disposal (56221), Hazardous Waste Collection (562112)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Landfill Disposal (BPALACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection & Program Operations (BPALAFAL), Hazardous & Special Waste Transfer Stations (Household Hazardous Waste, Industrial Special Wastes) (EUAIABAE)

Keywords

• Waste management services
• Recycling services
• Landfill operations
• Hazardous waste disposal
• Municipal waste collection

Headquarters

HQ city

Erlangen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Waste Disposal Fees: ZVA charges fees for disposal of various waste types. Fees are based on weight (per tonne) for larger quantities, with flat-rate fees for small quantities (trunk-load, Kombi). Fee schedules are set by the Verbandsversammlung and published in the official gazettes of member municipalities.
2. Recyclable Material Processing: Fees charged for processing recoverable materials such as paper/cardboard, plastics, green waste, glass, wood, and Styropor. Materials up to 1 m³ are free; charges apply for quantities from 1 m³ to 5 m³.
3. Verbandsumlage (Member Municipality Contributions): ZVA levies a Verbandsumlage (association levy) on its member municipalities (Stadt Erlangen and Landkreis Erlangen-Höchstadt) to cover its financial needs when other revenues are insufficient. The levy is calculated based on waste quantities delivered by each member.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Zweckverband Abfallwirtschaft (ZVA) operates three waste management facilities in the Erlangen and Erlangen-Höchstadt region of Bavaria, Germany: a waste transfer station in Erlangen with rail connection to waste-to-energy plants, an 11-hectare landfill with recycling center in Herzogenaurach, and a recycling center at Medbach. The organization provides household and commercial waste disposal, recyclable material processing, and hazardous waste acceptance to approximately 250,000 residents and businesses across both municipalities.

Product overview

ZVA operates a unified waste management service infrastructure consisting of three main facilities: the Müllumladestation Erlangen (waste transfer station), Deponie Herzogenaurach with Wertstoffhof (landfill with recycling center), and Wertstoffhof Medbach (recycling center), all supported by the central Geschäftsstelle Erlangen. The organization provides waste disposal and recycling services to approximately 250,000 residents in the city of Erlangen and the district of Erlangen-Höchstadt. Collection and transport services are handled by the member municipalities. Additional services include Sonderabfallannahmestelle (special waste collection), Schulführungen (educational school tours), and the Spendenregal (donation shelf) program for second-hand electronics exchange.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Müllumladestation Erlangen (Waste Transfer Station) Waste transfer station in Erlangen handling approximately 40,000 tonnes of waste per year with a capacity of 60,000 tonnes. Rail-connected to Müllheizkraftwerke Bamberg and Coburg for CO2-reduced transport of residual and bulky waste (160–200 tonnes/day).
• Deponie Herzogenaurach mit Wertstoffhof (Landfill and Recycling Center) 11-hectare landfill with integrated Wertstoffhof (recycling center) in Herzogenaurach, equipped with a landfill gas extraction system under a federal Ministry for the Environment funding program. Accepts asbestos, mineral fiber (KMF), and photovoltaic modules.
• Wertstoffhof Medbach (Recycling Center Medbach) Recycling center at the Medbach landfill site. Accepts asbestos in quantities under 1 m³, gypsum board / aerated concrete, and special waste on Mondays and Tuesdays.
• Sonderabfallannahmestelle (Hazardous Waste Collection) Hazardous waste acceptance facilities at all ZVA recycling centers, accepting household quantities up to 20 liters per fraction free of charge. Covers paints, chemicals, solvents, used oil, fluorescent tubes, and car batteries.
• Schulführungen (School Tours)

Quantifiable outcome

• Rail transport of 160–200 tonnes/day to waste-to-energy plants reduces CO2 emissions compared to road transport
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Müllheizkraftwerk BambergcoreOthersThe Umladestation Erlangen is rail-connected to the Müllheizkraftwerk (waste-to-energy plant) in Bamberg. ZVA transports waste by rail for energy recovery, reducing road transport and CO2 emissions. All freight wagons have been upgraded with noise-reducing technology.
• Müllheizkraftwerk CoburgcoreOthersThe Umladestation Erlangen is rail-connected to the Müllheizkraftwerk (waste-to-energy plant) in Coburg. Waste is transported by rail for energy recovery as an alternative disposal route.
• Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und nukleare SicherheitminorOthersZVA's landfill sites participate in the federal ministry's funding program for landfill gas management (Entgasung). The Deponie Herzogenaurach and its adjacent recycling center are part of this program, keeping ZVA up to date with current technology.
• KommunalBIT AöRminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerKommunalBIT AöR serves as ZVA's official data protection officer (behördlicher Datenschutzbeauftragter), reachable at [email protected].

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR): Municipal waste management and street cleaning utility of Berlin. Comparable as a large German municipal waste operator running transfer stations, recycling centers, and household hazardous waste acceptance, though at metropolitan scale.
• AWM München (Münchner Abfallwirtschaftsbetrieb): Municipal waste management utility of the City of Munich operating transfer stations, recycling centers, and hazardous waste facilities across a much larger urban area. Comparable as a Bavarian municipal waste operator with similar service portfolio but at substantially greater scale.
• AWB Köln (Abfallwirtschaftsbetrieb Köln): Municipal waste management company of the City of Cologne providing waste collection, disposal, recycling, and hazardous waste services. Comparable as a large German municipal waste operator with similar end-to-end service offering.
• Stadtreinigung Hamburg: Hamburg's public waste management and street cleaning utility. Comparable as a major German municipal waste operator providing waste disposal, recycling, and hazardous waste services to a defined urban territory under a public mandate.

Direct peers

• AWSH Abfallwirtschaft Südholstein: Public waste management entity serving southern Schleswig-Holstein with statutory mandate for household and commercial waste disposal. Comparable as a German regional Zweckverband-style entity offering disposal, recycling, and hazardous waste services.
• ZAK Zweckverband Abfallwirtschaft Kreis Kleve: Zweckverband for waste management in Kreis Kleve, North Rhine-Westphalia. Direct peer as another German Zweckverband structure operating transfer stations, recycling centers, and household hazardous waste acceptance with member-municipality governance.
• aha Zweckverband Region Hannover: Public-law Zweckverband managing waste and recycling for the Hannover region. Most comparable as another German intermunicipal waste authority with similar statutory structure, member-municipality funding, and operating recycling centers plus transfer stations.

Regional players

• Stadtentsorgung Rostock: Municipal waste management company of the Hanseatic city of Rostock. Comparable as a smaller-scale German municipal waste operator providing disposal, recycling, and Wertstoffhof-type services in a defined city/region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zva-zweckverband-abfallwirtschaft

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Zweckverband Abfallwirtschaft