GAB Umwelt Service

What GAB Umwelt Service does

GAB Umwelt Service — legally Gesellschaft für Abfallwirtschaft und Abfallbehandlung mbH — is the contracted municipal waste management utility for Kreis Pinneberg in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, with parallel operations in Kreis Steinburg through its subsidiary USN (Umweltservice Nord GmbH). Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Tornesch-Ahrenlohe (registered) and Kummerfeld (legal seat), the group employs 350+ people across five entities (GAB, AVG, AVBKG, USN, HAMEG) and operates a fleet of 150+ specialised vehicles.

The group's core product is the integrated waste value chain: kerbside collection (restmüll, biomüll, papier, glass), seven recycling centres accepting bulky waste, e-scrap, hazardous waste and recyclables, and four owned treatment facilities — a 50-year-old waste-to-energy plant with combined heat and power (88,000 t/yr), an anaerobic dry-fermentation biogas plant (~18,600 t/yr), a tunnel composting plant (36,000 t/yr), and a green-waste treatment plant at Hohenlockstedt (~50,000 t/yr). The chain produces electricity (~27,000 MWh/yr from WTE plus ~4.7 GWh from biogas), district heating for Pinneberg (~60,000 MWh/yr) and RAL-certified compost sold to regional agriculture.

Revenue is generated through six streams: regulated municipal waste fees set by the district (the largest line), commercial and industrial waste contracts (Pflichttonne, hazardous waste, Entsorgungskonzepte), recycling-centre gate fees, energy sales via the company's own network and the Leipzig power exchange, container e-commerce (gab-shop.de), and certified compost/digestate sales via VKN. Recent moves — the Digitaler Wertstoffhof (March 2026), Wertstoffannahme Quickborn expansion (November 2025), and the contracted Gelbe Tonne launch in Steinburg (January 2027) — extend the service surface within the existing territory; new co-Managing Director Florian Roesberg (appointed November 2025 from REMONDIS) signals continued professionalisation of logistics and supply-chain operations.

Name

GAB Umwelt Service

Legal name

Gesellschaft für Abfallwirtschaft und Abfallbehandlung mbH

Website

https://gab-umweltservice.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GAB Umwelt Service is the municipal waste management utility for Kreis Pinneberg and Kreis Steinburg in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, operating kerbside collection, seven recycling centres, and four treatment facilities (waste-to-energy, biogas, composting, green-waste) that serve roughly 450,000 residents and produce electricity, district heating, and certified compost.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Waste Management and Recycling Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (5621), Waste Treatment and Disposal (5622)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Municipal Solid Waste Collection (Residential/Commercial) (IMAIAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Subtitle: Waste Treatment & Disposal — Sub-industries (L4) (EUAIACAA), Commercial Food Waste Programs & On-Site Solutions (Cafeterias, Grocers, Hospitality) (BPALAEAE), Hazardous Waste & Universal Waste Handling (Batteries, Lamps, Aerosols) (BPABALAE)

Keywords

• Municipal waste management
• Recycling center services
• Waste-to-energy operations
• Commercial waste disposal
• Biogas district heating

Headquarters

HQ city

Kummerfeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Municipal Waste Collection & Disposal: GAB provides mandatory waste collection services (restmüll, biomüll, pappe, glass) for private households and municipalities in Kreis Pinneberg, funded through municipal waste fees set by the district.
2. Commercial & Industrial Waste Services: Services for commercial customers (Gewerbekunden) including mandatory waste bins (Pflichttonne), hazardous waste, and custom disposal concepts. Revenue is generated through contracted service agreements and fee schedules.
3. Energy Generation & Sale: GAB generates electricity (up to 27,000 MWh/year) and district heat (60,000 MWh/year) from waste incineration. Electricity is sold partly via the company's own network and partly on the Leipzig power exchange. Additional biogas electricity (~4.7 million kWh/year) is fed into the public grid.
4. Recycling Center Gate Fees: Citizens and businesses pay gate fees at GAB recycling centers for dropping off various waste types (construction waste, hazardous waste, bulky items, garden waste). Fees are published in GAB's price list for private customers.
5. Container Sales & Rental (gab-shop.de): GAB operates an online shop (gab-shop.de) for ordering skip containers. Revenue is generated per transaction for container delivery and collection.
6. Compost & Biogas Product Sales: Quality-certified compost (RAL-certified, gütegesichert) is sold to farmers via VKN Vertriebsgesellschaft Kompostprodukte Nord mbH. Digestate (flüssiger Gärrest) is sold as RAL-certified liquid fertiliser to agriculture.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GAB Umwelt Service is a municipal waste management company providing integrated waste collection, recycling, and treatment services for households, businesses, and municipalities in Kreis Pinneberg and Kreis Steinburg in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The company operates a vertically integrated waste chain including curbside collection, recycling centers, a waste-to-energy plant, a biogas plant, a tunnel composting facility, and a green waste treatment plant, generating electricity, district heating, and RAL-certified agricultural compost. Commercial services include hazardous waste disposal, mandatory waste bins, and custom disposal concepts, with revenue drawn from municipal waste fees, commercial contracts, recycling center gate fees, and energy/compost sales.

Product overview

GAB Umwelt Service (Gesellschaft für Abfallwirtschaft und Abfallbehandlung mbH) operates as a municipal waste management company providing integrated environmental services across Kreis Pinneberg and Kreis Steinburg in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The core offering combines waste collection (Müllabfuhr), recycling infrastructure (Recyclinghöfe, Wertstoffannahme, Container-Standorte), and waste treatment via owned facilities including a waste-to-energy plant (Müllheizkraftwerk, 88,000 t/year capacity), anaerobic digestion plant (Vergärungsanlage, ~18,600 t/year), tunnel composting plant (Kompostierungsanlage, 36,000 t/year), and green waste treatment plant (Grünabfallbehandlungsanlage, ~50,000 t/year). Energy products include district heating (~4,500 households) and electricity (~3,250 households) from CHP operations. Commercial services include hazardous waste disposal, mandatory bin contracts (Pflichttonne), and waste concepts. A Container Onlineshop enables container ordering online. A digital self-service recycling center (Digitaler Wertstoffhof) was launched in March 2026 via app-based appointment booking. The company also operates a network of 7 recycling centers, provides bulky waste and electronic scrap collection, and offers environmental education programs. The GAB corporate group comprises five entities: GAB, AVG, AVBKG, USN (Umweltservice Nord GmbH), and HAMEG (Hausmülleinsammlungsgesellschaft).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Müllabfuhr (Curbside Waste Collection) Scheduled curbside collection of residual waste (Restmüll), bio-waste (Biomüll), and paper from households in Kreis Pinneberg and Kreis Steinburg, using GAB's own fleet of 150+ specialized vehicles. Includes a holiday shift schedule and incident reporting.
• Sperrmüll & Elektroschrott (Bulky Waste & E-Scrap Collection) Collection and disposal of bulky waste items (furniture, mattresses, carpets) and electronic scrap from households, offered free of charge for pickup.
• Müllheizkraftwerk (Waste-to-Energy Plant) Waste-to-energy plant at Tornesch-Ahrenlohe incinerating ~88,000 Mg/year of residual, commercial, and bulky waste at up to 1,000°C, generating 60,000 MWh/year of district heating (supplying Pinneberg) and 27,000 MWh/year of electricity via combined heat and power (CHP). Operates 24/7/365 with 50 staff, 24 of whom work in a three-shift system.
• Vergärungsanlage (Dry Fermentation Biogas Plant) Anaerobic digestion (biogas) plant processing ~18,600 tonnes/year of bio-waste (feedstock: kitchen waste from the bio-bin fraction) with a 40,000 Mg/year acceptance capacity. Fermenter operates at 55°C with 1,950 m³ volume and ~25-day retention time, producing ~3,680 MWh/year of electricity and ~4.7 million kWh/year expected output via two block CHP units, plus ~12,000 tonnes/year of high-quality compost.
• Kompostierungsanlage (Tunnel Composting Plant) Tunnel composting plant processing 36,000 tonnes/year of bio-waste (kitchen and garden waste) from Kreis Pinneberg and part of northern Hamburg. Uses 11 rot tunnels (31m x 4m x 5m) for 12-14 day hygienization at 60°C, producing RAL-certified quality compost sold to farmers via VKN. Integrated with the Vergärungsanlage since 2018.
• Grünabfallbehandlungsanlage (Green Waste Treatment Plant) Green waste treatment plant in Hohenlockstedt (operated by subsidiary USN), processing ~50,000 tonnes/year through open windrow composting in 12 weeks. Accepts green waste from Tornesch and Quickborn. Produces quality-assured compost for farmers and sale to an earthworks company for potting soil packaging. Member of Bundes-Gütegemeinschaft Kompost (BGK).
• Recyclinghöfe (Recycling Centers Network) Network of seven recycling centers across Kreis Pinneberg and Kreis Steinburg accepting household waste and recyclable materials including bulky waste, electronic scrap, residual waste, construction waste, garden waste, hazardous substances, paper, cardboard, textiles, and glass. Locations include Tornesch, Quickborn, Wedel, Hohenlockstedt, Itzehoe, Glückstadt, and Kellinghusen.
• Glas-, Papier- & Altkleidercontainer (Depot Container Network) Network of depot container sites for glass (white and colored), paper/cardboard, and textile collection across the service area, maintained and cleaned by GAB.
• Container Onlineshop (gab-shop.de) Online shop (gab-shop.de) for ordering waste skip containers. Customers select container type, waste type, placement period, and price. Supports payment by direct debit (Lastschrift) and other payment methods. 10-year data retention for commercial records. Separate AGB for GAB and USN.
• Gefährliche Abfälle Gewerbe (Commercial Hazardous Waste Disposal) Disposal services for commercial hazardous waste subject to mandatory delivery (Andienungspflicht) under §48 KrWG, including artificial mineral fiber waste (KMF) and asbestos cement waste. Special packaging requirements apply (dust-tight, tear-resistant labeled fabric bags).
• Gewerbekunden — Pflichttonne & Entsorgungskonzepte (Commercial Waste Services) Commercial waste management services including the mandatory 'Pflichttonne' (mandatory bin for commercial establishments), waste disposal contracts, and custom disposal concepts for businesses and municipalities.
• Fernwärme & Strom (District Heating & Electricity) District heating and electricity generation from waste-to-energy and biogas. Heat supplied to Pinneberg district heating network (~4,500 households); electricity sold partly internally and partly at Leipzig power exchange. CHP technology maximizes energy recovery from waste.
• Digitaler Wertstoffhof (Digital Recycling Center) Self-service digital recycling center concept launched March 2026 via MAEX app. Allows appointment booking (10-minute slots, 6:00-22:00) for waste drop-off outside regular hours at Glückstadt and Kellinghusen recycling centers. Accepts six waste types: Sperrmüll, Altmetalle, Altglas, Papier/Pappe/Kartonagen, Alttextilien, Kleinelektrogeräte. First of its kind in Schleswig-Holstein.
• Gelbe Tonne — Kreis Steinburg (Yellow Bin Service) Yellow bin (Gelbe Tonne) service for lightweight packaging collection in Kreis Steinburg, set to be introduced January 2027. 4-week collection cycle. 240L containers for single-family homes; 1,100L containers for apartment buildings with 20+ residents. Managed by systembetreiber Reclay Systems GmbH.
• Umweltbildung (Environmental Education Program) Environmental education program including guided tours of the waste management center (Tornesch-Ahrenlohe, ~17 hectares, ~3.5 hours, €25 fee per group), school visits, educational programs for preschools and schoolchildren (4th grade+), Abfallbox lending (7 learning stations on sustainability topics), and NUN-certified (Norddeutsch und Nachhaltig) non-formal education.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80,000 tonnes of residual waste, bulky waste, and sorting residues converted to energy annually, displacing ~250 litres of heating oil or 250 m³ natural gas per tonne of waste incinerated.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kreis SteinburgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2026Kreis Steinburg has partnered with USN (a GAB subsidiary) to operate recycling centers across the district and jointly launched the digitaler Wertstoffhof self-service system at Glückstadt and Kellinghusen in March 2026 — a first in Schleswig-Holstein. The district has also contracted USN for the introduction of the Gelbe Tonne (yellow bin) collection system from 2027.
• Kreis PinnebergcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKreis Pinneberg is the public-law waste disposal authority that has delegated its statutory waste management obligations to GAB. GAB serves as the primary contracted waste utility for the entire district. The two also co-organise the Flohmarkt für einen guten Zweck charity flea market series, which has raised €1,000–2,600+ per event for regional environmental charities. The partnership also included the joint opening of Recyclinghof Wedel (2023) and the dual 40/50-year anniversary family day (2024) at the Tornesch-Ahrenlohe site.
• Repair Café PinnebergminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepair Café Pinneberg provides on-site safety checks of electrical appliances sold at GAB's Flea Markets für einen guten Zweck. This gives buyers confidence that purchased small electronics are functional. The collaboration supports waste avoidance and circular economy goals.
• Mobile-Box / FÖJ Koppelsberg (Jugendpfarramt der Nordkirche)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGAB collects old mobile phones at its recycling centers. These are processed by Mobile-Box, which pays €1 per device for environmental projects. The funds benefit the Freiwilliges Ökologisches Jahr (FÖJ) Koppelsberg programme run by the youth office of the North German church.
• Diakonisches Werk Hamburg-West/SüdholsteinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGAB collects donated bicycles at the Tornesch recycling center and passes them to this social institution, which arranges professional repair and distribution to refugees and those in need. The partnership combines waste avoidance with social welfare.
• Diakonieverein Migration – Beratung für Ausländer, Flüchtlinge und Aussiedler e.V. (Kreis Pinneberg)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGAB collects donated bicycles at the Tornesch recycling center and passes them to this association, which arranges distribution to migrants and those in need. Supports integration through mobility.
• Die Werkstatt QuickbornminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of several social partners that receive donated bicycles from GAB for professional repair and redistribution to those in need.
• Caritas Flüchtlingsbetreuung – Integrationszentrum Leuchtturm BarmstedtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA social partner in the bicycle donation programme, redistributing repaired bikes to refugees and disadvantaged individuals.
• Sahel e.V. / AMPO Projekt Burkina FasominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGAB collects orthopaedic aids (wheelchairs, walking aids) at its Tornesch recycling center for shipment to Burkina Faso via Sahel e.V. The aids are used in AMPO project facilities including a wheelchair workshop serving disabled people in the region.
• Stiftung Sparkasse SüdholsteinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThis foundation provides funding for bus transportation costs, enabling school classes from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to visit GAB's environmental education facilities at the Abfallwirtschaftszentrum. The funding makes GAB's educational programmes accessible to all.
• VKN Vertriebsgesellschaft Kompostprodukte Nord mbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVKN is the sales channel through which GAB's RAL-certified quality compost is sold to agricultural buyers across southern Schleswig-Holstein. This partnership ensures proper marketing and distribution of the compost output from GAB's composting and digestion plants.
• AWD (Abfallwirtschaft Dithmarschen)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGAB collaborated with AWD in 2020 to develop a shared 'Abfallbox' (waste box) with 7 learning stations for schoolchildren, covering topics including the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, microplastics, and waste sorting. The box is available for loan to schools (grades 4–6) across both districts.
• AWO Bildung und Arbeit (AWO BA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWO BA collaborates with GAB on collecting orthopaedic aids (wheelchairs, walking aids) for Burkina Faso. GAB provides the collection point at the Tornesch recycling center; AWO BA coordinates the charitable reuse and international shipment.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• REMONDIS SE & Co. KG: Germany's largest private-sector waste and water management company, with operations across collection, recycling, and energy recovery. Holds supervisory board seats at GAB and is the dominant private-sector competitor in the German waste management market, providing a broad benchmark for scale and capability.
• ALBA Group plc & Co. KG: Major private-sector German recycling and waste services company, active in collection, sorting, and materials recovery across Germany. Comparable as a broad-incumbent competitor offering integrated recycling and disposal services at scale across multiple regions.
• Veolia Umweltservice Süd GmbH & Co. KG: German arm of global environmental services group Veolia, providing municipal and commercial waste collection, street cleaning, and recycling services. Comparable as a broad-incumbent competitor active in German municipal waste tenders alongside public utilities like GAB.
• PreZero Stiftung & Co. KG: Environmental services arm of the Schwarz Group (owner of Lidl/Kaufland), operating collection, sorting, and recycling infrastructure across Germany. Comparable as a broad-incumbent that has expanded rapidly into municipal-style service contracts and competes for commercial and lightweight packaging streams (e.g., Gelbe Tonne/systembetreiber).
• SUEZ Deutschland GmbH: German subsidiary of SUEZ Group, providing municipal and industrial waste services including collection, recycling, and treatment. Comparable as a broad-incumbent competitor in the German waste management market with overlapping service categories (collection, recyclables sorting, treatment).

Direct peers

• Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR): Public-sector waste management utility for Berlin (~3.7M residents). Directly comparable as one of Germany's largest municipal waste utilities, operating collection, recycling centers, and waste-to-energy/CHP plants under a similar statutory mandate and rate-regulated fee model.
• Stadtreinigung Hamburg (SRH): Public-sector waste management utility serving the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (~1.8M residents). Directly comparable as a municipal collection + treatment + energy operator in the Hamburg metropolitan region, with overlapping service territory in the Schleswig-Holstein border area and similar statutory mandate structure.
• AWSH Abfallwirtschaftsgesellschaft Schleswig-Holstein mbH: State-level waste management company for Schleswig-Holstein, operating mechanical-biological treatment plants, hazardous-waste facilities, and landfill sites. Directly comparable as the regional/state-level peer in GAB's home state, with overlapping service-area adjacency.

Regional players

• Knettenbrech + Gurdulic GmbH: Mid-sized private waste management group headquartered in Hessen, with collection, sorting, and treatment operations across central Germany. Comparable as a mid-sized regional operator running an integrated collection-to-treatment chain with comparable revenue scale to GAB.
• Stadtentsorgung Rostock GmbH: Municipal waste management company of the Hanseatic City of Rostock, providing collection and recycling services in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Comparable as a regional municipal waste operator with similar public-mandate structure to GAB, though in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about GAB Umwelt Service