Federación Española de la Recuperación y el Reciclaje

What Federación Española de la Recuperación y el Reciclaje does

Federación Española de la Recuperación y el Reciclaje (FER) is a private non-profit trade association registered on 19 February 1982 (Ministry of Labor and Social Security, registration no. 2.586; CIF G78115854), headquartered at C/ Santa Engracia 73, 1ª planta, 28010 Madrid. It serves as the principal representative body for Spain's waste recovery and recycling sector, with 280+ direct member companies and — through affiliated regional and sectoral associations — representation of more than 435 waste management firms. FER is governed by President Ion Olaeta and Director General Alicia García-Franco Zúñiga, and maintains a staff of approximately 33 employees.

FER's offering is a portfolio of member-facing professional services rather than a software product. Core lines include specialized advisory (regulatory guidance, subsidies and grants, partner agreements), training activities (e.g., courses on the e-RAEE electronic WEEE platform, the Royal Decree on packaging, and waste transport under RD 553/2020 / e-SIR), and communication services anchored by the quarterly Revista FER magazine, the annual Memoria FER report, and a member directory. The federation's flagship commercial event, the National Congress of Recovery and Recycling, held its 23rd edition at IFEMA Madrid in June 2026 with 500+ attendees. FER is integrated into the broader institutional landscape through affiliations with CEOE, CEPYME, UNE, SIGRAUTO, CONFEMETAL, EURIC, BIR, EFR, EPRB, and Eurometrec.

FER's revenue model is recurring membership dues from its 280+ member companies, supplemented by training fees, congress sponsorships (9 sponsors, 32 collaborators in 2026), and Revista FER advertising. The go-to-market is sales-led direct engagement with waste management operators. No financial figures are publicly disclosed; pricing is not itemized. The organization's competitive position rests on 40+ years of institutional representation rather than technology, with moats grounded in regulatory access, sector ecosystem integration, and brand reputation in the Spanish recycling industry.

Name

Federación Española de la Recuperación y el Reciclaje

Legal name

Federación Española de la Recuperación y el Reciclaje

Website

https://recuperacion.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FER is the principal Spanish non-profit trade association for the waste recovery and recycling sector, founded in 1982. It serves 280+ direct member companies (representing 435+ waste management firms) through advisory, training, congresses, and the Revista FER quarterly magazine.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Association Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Waste Collection (56211), Waste Collection (5621)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUAIANAC

Reuse & Resale / Recommerce Operations

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Services (Waste Management, Recycling & Remediation)/Resource Recovery & Circular Economy Services (Reuse, Take-back, Refurbishment)

SECONDARYEUAIAIAA

Consumer E-waste Collection & Take-Back Programs

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Services (Waste Management, Recycling & Remediation)/E-waste & Battery Recycling

SECONDARYTLAAALAN

Recycling, E-Waste & End-of-Life Takeback Programs

Transportation & Logistics/Courier, Express & Parcel (CEP) / Last-Mile Delivery/Reverse Logistics & Returns Pickup

SECONDARYBPALAIAB

E-waste Collection, Aggregation & Reverse Logistics

Business & Public Services/Waste Management & Remediation Services/Electronic Waste (E-waste) Recycling & IT Asset Disposition (ITAD)

Keywords

• Waste recovery services
• Recycling industry advocacy
• Circular economy representation
• Waste management association
• Industry training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: FER generates revenue through membership fees paid by its 280+ member companies. The federation provides services including specialized advisory, training activities, and communication support to members in exchange for membership dues.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Federación Española de la Recuperación y el Reciclaje (FER) is a non-profit trade association that represents more than 280 member companies and over 435 waste management firms across Spain. Its core offerings include specialized advisory services, professional training activities, and communication support for member companies engaged in waste recovery and recycling. The federation operates the e-RAEE digital platform for WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) management compliance and delivers industry representation at national, European, and international levels.

Product overview

Federación Española de la Recuperación y el Reciclaje (FER) is a professional association representing Spain's waste recovery and recycling sector. Rather than offering a unified software platform, FER provides a portfolio of professional services including specialized advisory, training courses, and communication services. Key offerings include the quarterly Revista FER magazine, the annual National Congress of Recovery and Recycling (now in its 23rd edition), the e-RAEE digital platform for WEEE management compliance, and an annual activity report (Memoria FER). FER also maintains a member directory and provides information resources such as infographics on textile waste and city recycling initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Asesoramiento (Advisory Services) Specialized and personalized advisory services providing timely information, subsidies and grants guidance, and agreements with companies for FER member waste management and recycling firms.
• Formación (Training Activities) Exclusive training activities for members, including specific courses (e.g., WEEE electronic management using the e-RAEE platform, Royal Decree on packaging, waste transfer under RD 553/2020), informative sessions, and professional development programs on waste management regulations.
• Difusión (Communication Services) Content dissemination services for members, including the annual yearbook, guides, pamphlets, FER magazine, website, and news updates on recycling and environmental developments.
• e-RAEE Platform Electronic management platform for WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) as required by Royal Decree, enabling practical compliance use for waste management operations by member companies.
• Buscador de Socios (Member Directory) Online directory allowing users to search and locate FER member companies by various criteria including waste types and certifications, supporting industry networking and business referrals.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• CEOE (Confederación Española de Organizaciones Empresariales)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFER is affiliated with CEOE, Spain's largest business confederation, enabling representation of waste management sector interests at the highest levels of Spanish business advocacy.
• CEPYMEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFER maintains affiliation with CEPYME, representing small and medium-sized enterprises in Spain, ensuring the sector has voice in SME policy discussions.
• UNE (Asociación Española de Normalización)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFER participates in UNE activities related to standardization, helping shape technical standards for the waste management and recycling sector.
• EURIC (European Recycling Industries' Aisbl)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFER is a member of EURIC, the European Recycling Industries Confederation, providing representation at European level through various specialized branches including EuRIC Textiles, EuRIC MTR, and EuRIC ECDB.
• BIR (Bureau of International Recycling)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFER maintains membership in BIR, the Bureau of International Recycling, enabling international representation and networking for Spanish recycling companies.
• SIGRAUTOsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFER maintains affiliation with SIGRAUTO, the association for vehicle scrap and recycling in Spain, representing end-of-life vehicle treatment sector interests.
• CONFEMETALsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFER is affiliated with CONFEMETAL, representing metal sector employers, facilitating coordination on metal recycling matters.
• FERMA (Federación de Empresas de Recuperación de Andalucía)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFERMA, the Federation of Recovery Companies of Andalusia, is part of FER's network representing regional waste management interests.
• Foro de la Recuperación y el RecicladosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFER participates in the Recovery and Recycling Forum, a collaborative platform for industry stakeholders focused on circular economy and recycling initiatives.
• EFR (European Ferrous Recovery and Recycling Federation)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFR is the European federation for ferrous metal recovery and recycling, affiliated with EURIC, providing specialized representation for metal recycling sector.
• EPRB (European Precious Metals Federation)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPRB represents European precious metals recycling industry interests, affiliated with EURIC, providing specialized sector representation.
• EurometrecsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEurometrec is the European federation for metal traders and recyclers, affiliated with EURIC, representing non-ferrous metal recovery and recycling sector.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ISWA (International Solid Waste Association): Global, non-profit association for waste management professionals and organizations. Comparable in mission to promote sustainable and professional waste management worldwide through networking, publications and policy work.
• CIWM (Chartered Institution of Wastes Management): UK-based professional body for the waste and resources sector. Comparable as a national membership association offering training, qualifications, policy advocacy and events to waste management professionals.
• BIR (Bureau of International Recycling): Global federation of the recycling industry of which FER is a member. Closely comparable as the international counterpart, providing global representation and networking for recycling companies.
• EURIC (European Recycling Industries' Aisbl): European-level federation of which FER is a member. Directly comparable as the pan-European industry association representing recycling industries across multiple branches (Textiles, MTR, ECDB, EFR, EPRB, Eurometrec).
• FEDEREC (Fédération Professionnelle des Entreprises du Recyclage): French national federation of recycling companies. Direct peer as the closest geographic equivalent in another major EU market, providing representation, training and advisory to French waste recovery and recycling firms.

Regional players

• BDE (Bundesverband der Deutschen Entsorgungs-, Wasser- und Rohstoffwirtschaft): German federal association of the waste, water and raw materials management industry. Comparable as a major EU national federation representing waste management and recycling companies in Germany.
• Avfall Sverige (Swedish Waste Management Association): Swedish national association representing municipalities and waste-management companies. Comparable as a single-country national federation performing similar representation, advisory and convening functions in a different Nordic market.
• CONAI (Consorzio Nazionale Imballaggi): Italian national consortium for packaging recovery and recycling. Comparable as an Italy-based national organization coordinating packaging waste recovery/recycling with similar producer responsibility and policy-influence functions.

Emerging players

• Eco-systèmes (France): French eco-organization managing WEEE producer responsibility. Comparable as a narrower e-waste compliance operator that operates alongside national federations like FER in WEEE regulatory execution.
• WEEE Forum (Forum for the Coordination of WEEE Producer Responsibility): European association of 51 WEEE producer responsibility organizations. Comparable as a specialized sister organization operating in the e-waste/WEEE compliance space where FER's e-RAEE platform also operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reciclajefer

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Federación Española de la Recuperación y el Reciclaje