ELM Recycling GmbH

What ELM Recycling GmbH does

ELM Recycling GmbH & Co. KG, founded in 1998 in Bissingen/Teck, Germany, is a privately held waste management and recycling group operating a multi-facility substitute-fuel and plastics recycling platform across southern Germany. Its core services are waste utilization, substitute fuel (Ersatzbrennstoff) production for cement kilns, mechanical plastics recycling, logistics, and consulting. Production is delivered through wholly-owned subsidiaries including ELM Ersatzbrennstoff (Mergelstetten, 120,000 t/yr), Albbrennstoff (Allmendingen, 180,000 t/yr), the parent Bissingen plant (50,000 t/yr), and Xplastics (Bruchsal, ~70,000 t/yr mixed-plastics), with additional tire recycling (Tyrewolf), a JV with Märker-Zement (CALREC), and logistics/toll-milling capability via Männer and Hans Mall.

Underlying technology centers on mechanical and sensor-based processing: NIR and float-sink separation to purify high-calorie fractions, single- and two-stage milling of HDPE/PS with dust removal and metal separation, and modern separation plants at Mergelstetten and Allmendingen. The group is certified as an Entsorgungsfachbetrieb, holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, and carries the RAL quality mark for secondary fuels; three of its larger facilities are sited directly on cement-plant premises of Schwenk Zement and Märker-Zement.

The business model is B2B and transaction-fee-based: ELM accepts industrial and commercial waste, charges processing/acceptance fees, and sells the outputs (substitute fuels, re-granulated plastics, rubber granulate) on a per-tonne basis; complementary revenue comes from toll milling, logistics (walking-floor and roll-off container transport), and waste-disposal consulting including import/export documentation. The stated headcount of 7 refers only to the managing entity; operational staff sit within the operating subsidiaries.

Name

ELM Recycling GmbH

Legal name

ELM Recycling GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://elm-recycling.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ELM Recycling GmbH, founded 1998 in Bissingen/Teck, is a privately held German waste management and recycling group operating multiple southern-German facilities that produce substitute fuels for cement kilns and recycle mixed plastics for industrial customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management and Recycling Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Waste Treatment and Disposal (56221), Solid Waste Collection (562111)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Packaging Waste Services (Pallets, Cardboard, Film, IBCs/Drums—Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Post-Consumer Plastic Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF, Bale Supply) (EUAIAKAA)

Keywords

• Waste recycling services
• Substitute fuel production
• Plastics material recycling
• Industrial waste management
• Secondary raw materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Bissingen/Teck

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Waste Treatment Services: Processing and utilization of production-specific commercial waste and mixed plastics from LVP sorting. Services include waste acceptance, processing, and disposal reliability.
2. Substitute Fuel Production: Production and sale of substitute fuels (Ersatzbrennstoffe) from waste materials for use in cement plants and energy recovery facilities.
3. Plastic Material Sales: Sale of milled plastics (Mahlgüter) from HDPE, PS and other plastics. Production of recycled plastic raw materials close to virgin material properties.
4. Toll Milling (Lohnmahlung): Contract milling services where customers deliver plastics for processing and receive back their milled materials.
5. Logistics Services: Container placement, transport with walking floor vehicles, roll-off containers, and logistics solutions for waste collection and delivery to processing facilities.
6. Consulting Services: Advisory services for waste disposal and utilization including internal collection processes, disposal concepts, and import/export documentation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

ELM Recycling processes industrial and commercial waste into high-quality substitute fuels and recycled plastic raw materials at four production locations in southern Germany. The company accepts production-specific commercial waste and mixed plastics from LVP sorting plants, separates harmful substances, mills and washes plastics into reusable fractions, and produces secondary fuels for energy recovery in cement plants. Services span waste acceptance, substitute fuel production, plastics recycling, logistics/transport, and consulting on disposal concepts and import/export documentation.

Product overview

ELM Recycling GmbH is a waste management company operating a multi-facility portfolio for waste utilization and substitute fuel production across southern Germany. The core offering consists of five integrated services: waste utilisation, substitute fuel production, plastics recycling, logistics, and consulting services. These services are delivered through multiple production facilities including the main Bissingen plant (50,000 tons/year), Mergelstetten facility (120,000 tons/year), Allmendingen plant (180,000 tons/year), and Bruchsal Xplastics facility (70,000 tons/year for mixed plastics). Additional subsidiaries include Tyrewolf for tire recycling, CALREC for substitute fuel processing, ELM Ressourcen for trading and logistics, and Hans Mall for canal/pipe cleaning services. The company also toll-grinds plastics for customers requiring custom processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Schwenk ZementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Strategic partnership with Schwenk Zement hosting ELM Ersatzbrennstoff facility in Mergelstetten and Albbrennstoff facility in Allmendingen on their cement plant premises. Enables direct supply of substitute fuels to cement operations.
• Märker-ZementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture with Märker-Zement at Harburg location for substitute fuel production from production-specific commercial waste.
• Männer GmbH & Co. KGminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransport partner for waste or trade transports using walking floor or container vehicles. Handles transportation of materials and wastes.
• BVSE Bundesverband Sekundärrohstoffe und EntsorgungminorOthersIndustry association membership for secondary raw materials and disposal sector.
• Gütegemeinschaft Sekundärbrennstoffe und Recyclingholz e.V. (BGS)minorOthersQuality association for secondary fuels and recycling wood. ELM Ersatzbrennstoff received RAL quality mark from this association in 2015.
• Hans Mall GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompany acquired in 2021, part of ELM Group. Provides canal and pipe cleaning, waste disposal, and related services from Lenningen location.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ALBA Group: German recycling and waste-services group with sorting, plastics recovery (Interseroh), and closed-loop offerings; competes with ELM for industrial feedstock and downstream recycled-material sales.
• SRF-Star Group: German producer of high-quality substitute fuels from commercial waste for cement and lime kilns; competes with ELM Ersatzbrennstoff and Albbrennstoff in the EBS-offtake market.
• Genan GmbH: European end-of-life tire recycling company producing rubber granulate, steel, and textile fractions; directly comparable to ELM's Tyrewolf subsidiary in scope and customer base.
• INFRASERV GmbH & Co. Wiesbaden KG: Industrial-park operator with on-site waste-to-energy, SRF treatment, and recycling services for manufacturing tenants; comparable as an embedded industrial-waste recovery platform supplying heat and substitute fuels.
• REMONDIS GmbH & Co. KG: Germany's largest private waste-management and recycling group; operates materials recovery, SRF production, and industrial waste collection across multiple regions, directly comparable to ELM's integrated industrial-waste-to-substitute-fuel model.
• PreZero GmbH & Co. KG: Schwarz Group's environmental services arm focused on waste collection, sorting, and recycling of plastics and SRF; comparable in service breadth and target industrial customers in southern Germany.

Emerging players

• APK AG: German specialty plastics recycler developing solvent-based and mechanical processes for mixed plastic streams from packaging sorting; comparable to Xplastics' mechanical purification of LVP-sorted mixed plastics.

Regional players

• AVG Abfallverwertungsgesellschaft Köln mbH: Regional municipal and commercial waste management company operating in North Rhine-Westphalia; comparable in integrated waste treatment and energy recovery but geographically distinct from ELM's southern German footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Veolia Deutschland (formerly SUEZ Deutschland): Large German subsidiary of global environmental services group offering municipal and hazardous waste treatment, recycling, and SRF production; overlaps with ELM but at much greater scale and broader portfolio.
• FCC Environment Germany: European environmental services group with German operations in municipal and commercial waste collection and treatment; comparable end markets though broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elm-recycling-gmbh

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries8 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 ELM Recycling GmbH