What Riwald Recycling does

Riwald Recycling is a European metal and electronics recycling platform operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary within ArcelorMittal Downstream Solutions. The company operates 15+ sites across five countries — the Netherlands (Almelo, Beverwijk), Germany (Sennfeld, Schweinfurt, Bamberg, Marktredwitz, Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Hanau, Eppingen, Lustadt, Wiedergeltingen), France (Thézan-lès-Béziers), Scotland (Aberdeen via John Lawrie Metals), and Spain (Madrid, launched January 2025) — processing hundreds of thousands of tonnes of ferrous, non-ferrous, WEEE, and industrial waste annually into more than 150 types of secondary raw materials at a 95–100% recycling rate.

The technical platform is built around capital-intensive processing lines: gross shredders, cable granulation systems, aluminum shears, refrigerator processing lines for FCKW/Pentane/NH3 units, display device processing, and recent additions of the TA-PO 600 WEEE processor (Lustadt, 2025) and SENNEBOGEN 835 G Hybrid cranes at 800 tonnes per hour (Netherlands, 2025). Logistics are supported by telematics-enabled fleets and RFID container tagging. Certified destruction services (DIN 66399 up to SK3/P4 at Sennfeld) and full ElektroG/EAR compliance for WEEE producers extend the offering into regulated adjacent services.

Riwald's revenue model is primarily transactional — purchasing scrap from industrial suppliers, municipalities, and individuals, processing it, and selling the resulting secondary raw materials to steel mills and foundries (including ArcelorMittal Fos-sur-Mer) on a margin basis. Container and skip rental, certified document destruction, and WEEE producer compliance services add professional-services revenue streams. Go-to-market is direct sales-led through regional sales managers with deep industry tenure, augmented by ArcelorMittal's brand reach. Customer segments span industrial manufacturers and steel mills, industry/trade/commerce, municipalities, electronics manufacturers (Inverkehrbringer), and individuals. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated on a B2B basis.

Name

Riwald Recycling

Legal name

Riwald Recycling

Website

https://riwald.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Riwald Recycling is a European metal and WEEE recycling platform, wholly owned by ArcelorMittal Downstream Solutions, operating 15+ sites across the Netherlands, Germany, France, Scotland, and Spain to process scrap into 150+ secondary raw materials for steel mills, industrial customers, and municipalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Metal Recycling Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (56292), Waste Collection (56211), Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers (42393), Hazardous Waste Collection (562112), Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562211)

SIC

Wholesale-Metals & Minerals (No Petroleum) (5050), Sanitary Services (4950), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

Metals Recycling & Processing (Ferrous/Non-Ferrous) (BPALADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scrap Metal Collection, Logistics & Aggregation (Yards, Roll-off, Container Programs) (IMAKAMAK), E-Waste & Electronics Metal Recovery (ITAD, Circuit Boards, Precious Metal Recovery) (IMAKAMAG), Radiator, Cable & Wire Recycling (Copper/Aluminum Wire Chopping, Insulated Cable) (IMAKAMAJ), Scrap Collection, Brokerage & Trading (Dealers, Aggregators, Exporters) (EUAIAJAH), Universal Waste Management (Batteries, Lamps, Mercury-Containing) (BPALAHAL)

Keywords

• Metal recycling
• Ferrous scrap processing
• Non-ferrous metals trading
• WEEE electronics recycling
• Industrial waste management

Headquarters

HQ city

Sennfeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Metal Recycling & Trading: Purchase, processing, and sale of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Riwald buys scrap metal from industrial suppliers, municipalities, and individuals; processes it; and sells recycled raw materials to steel mills and foundries. Revenue is generated through the margin between purchase and sale of processed metals.
2. Waste Management Services: Rental of containers and skips for collection of residential and commercial waste metal. Services include pickup, transport, sorting, and documentation. Fast, direct payment to suppliers and partners is a key feature.
3. Steel Product Repurposing: Industrial and domestic scrap metals are repurposed into bespoke steel products, creating higher-value output from recycled materials.
4. WEEE Producer Compliance Services: Full compliance service for Inverkehrbringer under ElektroG, including EAR registration, collection order fulfillment, reporting, and documentation. Offered by Riwald Electronics Recycling.
5. Disposal & Treatment Services: Tailored disposal solutions for industry, trade, businesses and administrations, including collection, recycling, safe destruction of sensitive products, and documentation.
6. Document & Data Carrier Destruction: Certified destruction of documents and data carriers per DIN 66399 at Sennfeld, with certified documentation and secure transport.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Riwald Recycling purchases, processes, and trades ferrous and non-ferrous metals from industrial, commercial, municipal, and individual suppliers, operating shredders, cable granulation lines, and WEEE processing units across 15+ sites in 5 European countries. It also provides container and skip rental for waste metal collection, WEEE (electronic waste) treatment, ElektroG compliance services for electronics manufacturers, and certified DIN 66399 document destruction. The company processes hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste annually into 150+ types of sustainable raw materials with a 95%-100% recycling rate.

Product overview

Riwald Recycling is a leading European metal recycling company operating as a unified platform with multiple regional subsidiaries across Netherlands, Germany, France, and Scotland. The core offering comprises metal recycling (ferrous and non-ferrous), repurposing of industrial scrap into bespoke steel products, and waste management container services. The portfolio includes specialized subsidiaries: Riwald Recycling Franken (ferrous/non-ferrous metals, paper, plastics, document destruction), Riwald Recycling Rhein-Main (metal processing, cable handling), Riwald Electronics Recycling (WEEE, electronics, refrigerators), and Riwald Occitanie (multi-material collection and processing). Together these entities process hundreds of thousands of tonnes annually, producing over 150 types of sustainable raw materials with 95-100% recycling rates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• John Lawrie Metals: Metal recycling business operating in Aberdeen, Scotland under the John Lawrie Metals brand.

Products and services

• Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metal Recycling Purchase, processing, and sale of ferrous and non-ferrous metals sourced from industrial suppliers, municipalities, and individuals. Processing uses shredders, shears, and separation equipment to produce over 150 types of sustainable raw materials with a 95%-100% recycling rate; hundreds of thousands of tonnes processed annually. Output is sold to steel mills and foundries.
• Scrap Metal Repurposing into Bespoke Steel Products Repurposing of industrial and domestic scrap metals into bespoke steel products, contributing to circular economy by giving new life to old materials. Each item meets defined quality and performance standards.
• Container and Skip Rental with Waste Metal Collection Rental of roll-on/roll-off containers, skip containers, and security containers for on-site collection of residential or commercial waste metal. Includes pickup, transport, sorting, and documentation, with telematics-enabled fleet management and fast direct payment to suppliers and partners.
• WEEE Recycling and ElektroG Compliance Service Full WEEE management for electronics manufacturers (Inverkehrbringer) under German ElektroG: EAR registration, collection logistics, first-treatment facility processing at Eppingen/Lustadt/Wiedergeltingen, treatment documentation, and compliance reporting to the EAR Foundation. Also handles WEEE from other customers via specialized processing lines.
• DIN 66399 Certified Document and Data Carrier Destruction Certified destruction of confidential documents and data media per DIN 66399 at the Sennfeld (Franken) facility with security up to class 3 (SK3) and level P4. Includes secure transport and destruction documentation.
• TA-PO 600 WEEE Processing Unit (Lustadt) Processing unit installed at Riwald Electronics Recycling Lustadt site that processes the ferrous fraction of WEEE inline with the shredder, producing two output streams: clean ferrous material ready for blast furnace, and Fe+Mix containing copper, aluminum, stainless steel, and printed circuit boards.

Quantifiable outcome

• Recycling rate of 95%–100%
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stena Recycling: Stena Recycling operates a pan-European network of scrap metal and recycling depots, with strong positions in the Nordics and UK. Direct overlap with Riwald in ferrous, non-ferrous, and WEEE collection-and-processing services.
• Scholz Recycling: Scholz is a major European ferrous and non-ferrous scrap processor with extensive yards in Germany and Eastern Europe. Directly comparable business model to Riwald: scrap procurement, processing, and supply of secondary raw materials to steel producers.
• EMR (European Metal Recycling): EMR is one of the largest metal recyclers globally, operating yards across the UK, continental Europe and the US. Direct peer to Riwald in ferrous and non-ferrous scrap collection and processing with comparable end-customer base of steel mills and foundries.
• Renewi: Renewi is a UK-listed waste-to-product company with strong Benelux/German scrap metal and recycling activities. Direct competitor to Riwald in collection, sorting, and secondary raw material production across North-Western Europe.
• ELG Haniel (ELG): ELG is a global trader and processor of stainless steel and superalloy scrap, with deep roots in Germany and Europe. Comparable to Riwald's non-ferrous, cable recycling, and industrial scrap activities, with similar high-grade material recovery emphasis.

Broad incumbents

• Aurubis: Aurubis is Europe's largest copper producer with significant integrated recycling operations that process copper-rich scrap, cables, and electronics. Comparable to Riwald's non-ferrous and electronics-recycling streams but operating further downstream in smelting/refining.
• Remondis: Remondis is one of the largest privately-held waste and recycling companies globally, with extensive metal-recycling capability in Germany and across Europe. Comparable to Riwald in scale, geographic diversification, and integrated waste/metal recovery services.
• Veolia Environmental Services: Veolia's waste management division operates MRFs, hazardous waste, and metal recycling capability across Europe. While broader than Riwald in service scope, it competes for municipal and industrial waste management contracts and downstream material recovery flows.
• Sims Metal Management: Sims is a global publicly-listed metals recycler with operations in North America, Australia, the UK and continental Europe. Comparable to Riwald in ferrous and non-ferrous yard operations and e-scrap processing, but with global rather than Europe-centred footprint.
• Boliden: Boliden is a Nordic mining and metals group whose smelters accept significant volumes of recycled copper and electronics scrap. Comparable to Riwald's non-ferrous and WEEE streams through shared electronic-scrap value chain, though Boliden is more metals-oriented than pure recycling.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/riwald-recycling

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Riwald Recycling