SRW METALFLOAT GMBH

What SRW METALFLOAT GMBH does

SRW metalfloat GmbH is a German private limited company (GmbH) founded in 2000 in Rötha OT Espenhain, Saxony, that operates one of Europe's largest and most innovative processing centers for shredder residues and metal-bearing waste. The company runs dry and wet mechanical processing lines — including heavy-media float-sink plants, sensor-based picking systems, and transmission-radiography sorting — to recover ferrous and non-ferrous metals, precious metals, and engineering plastics from heterogeneous input streams such as heavy and light shredder fractions, non-ferrous concentrates, shear residues, drum-screen material, and waste-incineration bottom-ash fines. Two granted German patents (2003 for light shredder fraction processing; 2018 for fine-grained metal-bearing waste processing) underpin capabilities such as recovering non-ferrous metals down to 200 µm particle size and concentrating precious-metal contents into sub-4 mm smelting-grade copper granulates.

The business model combines two revenue streams: (1) tolling/processing fees paid by industrial manufacturers, steel mills, and waste-management operators for processing their metal-bearing waste and shredder residues under customised, transparent per-job billing; and (2) sales of recovered secondary raw materials — aluminium (primarily to the automotive industry), stainless steel, heavy metals (copper/brass/zinc/lead), copper granulates, cables, circuit boards, engineering plastics, and refuse-derived fuel — to downstream manufacturers and metallurgical recyclers. SRW distributes directly to enterprise and mid-market industrial clients in Germany (Saxony and surrounding regions), with no public channel partners, supported by event-led demand generation (e.g., the 'Sustainable Electronics' symposium in Nuremberg, January 2025).

The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Scholz Group, which since 2016 is part of China's Chiho Environmental Group, one of the world's largest metal-recycling networks. SRW shares its 36-hectare Espenhain site with sibling Scholz Recycling GmbH, holds EU End-of-Waste, ISO 50001, and Efb certifications, and operates an in-house R&D department with an active partnership with TU Bergakademie Freiberg on LFP battery recycling and on AI- and robotics-driven three-shift sorting operations.

Name

SRW METALFLOAT GMBH

Legal name

SRW metalfloat GmbH

Website

https://srw-recycling.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SRW metalfloat GmbH is a German metal-recycling processor that uses patented mechanical-separation plants at its 36-hectare Espenhain facility to recover secondary raw materials (aluminium, copper granulates, stainless steel, precious metals, plastics, RDF) from shredder residues and metal-bearing waste for industrial, steel, automotive, and e-waste customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Metal Recycling Services

NAICS

Primary Metal Manufacturing (331)

SIC

Wholesale-Metals & Minerals (No Petroleum) (5050)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Non-Ferrous Scrap Processing & Recycling (Aluminum, Copper, Brass, Lead, Zinc) (EUAIAJAB), E-Waste & Electronics Metal Recovery (ITAD, Circuit Boards, Precious Metal Recovery) (IMAKAMAG), Radiator, Cable & Wire Recycling (Copper/Aluminum Wire Chopping, Insulated Cable) (IMAKAMAJ)

Keywords

• Shredder residue processing
• Metal recycling services
• Secondary raw materials
• Non-ferrous metal recovery
• E-waste recycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Rötha OT Espenhain

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Metal Recycling Processing Services: Processing of shredder residues and other metal-bearing waste with customized processing and assessment. Revenue generated through tolling fees for material processing and recovery of secondary raw materials.
2. Secondary Raw Materials Sales: Production and sale of high-quality secondary raw materials including aluminium, stainless steel, heavy metals, copper granulates, circuit boards, cables, plastics, and refuse-derived fuels (RDF).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SRW metalfloat GmbH processes shredder residues and other metal-bearing waste using dry and wet mechanical processing plants, heavy media separation, sensor-based sorting, and X-ray transmission analysis. The company produces and sells high-quality secondary raw materials including aluminium, stainless steel, heavy metals, copper granulates, cables, circuit boards, plastics, and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) to industrial buyers.

Product overview

SRW metalfloat GmbH operates a comprehensive metal recycling platform consisting of input material processing services and recovered product offerings. The core service processes shredder residues and metal-bearing waste through various mechanical technologies (heavy media separation, sensor-based sorting, X-ray transmission analysis). Input materials include heavy shredder fraction, light shredder fraction, non-ferrous metal concentrates, shear residues, drum screen material, and non-ferrous metal concentrate from waste incineration. Output products include pure-grade secondary raw materials: aluminium, stainless steel, heavy metals (copper, brass, zinc, lead), copper granulates, cables, circuit boards, plastics, and refuse-derived fuel (RDF). The company also operates an in-house laboratory and R&D department, with a focus on battery recycling technology development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aluminium Light metal aluminium separated from various material flows and made available for reuse. Various qualities are produced for the secondary market, with most used in the automotive industry.
• Stainless Steel (Edelstahl / VA-Shredder) Recovery of slightly magnetic or non-magnetic stainless steel using sensor-based and manual sorting processes. This quality can be used in the steel industry without further treatment.
• Heavy Metals (Copper, Brass, Zinc, Lead) Copper, brass, zinc and lead accumulated in heavy media plants using density separation processes. Heavy fractions produced in various sizes and qualities.
• Copper Granulates High-quality copper granulates produced from fine-grained metal-bearing waste. Concentration of smallest non-ferrous metal and precious metal contents in copper granulates suitable for smelting. Different qualities in size range below 4mm.
• Shredder Cables Cables efficiently separated from other components in company plants. Materials are consigned to secondary companies for further processing to recover copper, aluminium, and recyclable plastics.
• Circuit Boards (Leiterplatten) Circuit boards containing valuable raw materials including copper, gold, silver and palladium. Separated from material flow and marketed to electronic waste recyclers or metallurgy companies.
• Plastics (Engineering Plastics) Engineering plastics recovered and made available to companies for secondary plastics production. A mix of polyolefins primarily consisting of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE).
• Refuse-Derived Fuel (EBS / RDF) Plastics and rubber not suitable for material recycling processed into refuse-derived fuel. Used in cement plants, waste-to-energy plants, or conventional waste incineration.
• Shredder Residue Processing Service B2B processing service for shredder residues and metal-bearing waste using dry and wet mechanical processing plants, heavy media separation, sensor-based sorting systems, and X-ray transmission analysis. Recovers non-ferrous metals down to 200 μm particle size. Offered with transparent billing based on customized processing and assessment for industrial clients.
• Fine-Grained Metal-Bearing Waste Processing Service Specialized processing service for fine-grained metal-bearing waste streams using a 2018 patented process. The service concentrates the smallest non-ferrous metal and precious metal contents into smelting-grade copper granules below 4mm, enabling maximum value creation from difficult-to-process fine material fractions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Recycling rates required by end-of-life vehicle regulation surpassed considerably through innovative processing procedures
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Technical University of Freiberg (TU Bergakademie Freiberg)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2020Research partnership in R&D for processing technologies. Collaboration on the LFP battery recycling project (2020-2022) where SRW developed mechanical processing components including crushing, sieve classification, and screening of discharged and thermally pre-treated batteries.
• Agro Driesa GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2020Research partner in FuE (research and development) joint project funding for LFP battery recycling technology development (01.07.2020 to 31.08.2022).
• SIC Processing GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2020Research partner in FuE joint project funding for LFP battery recycling technology development (01.07.2020 to 31.08.2022).
• Scholz GroupcoreOthersParent company and global network of companies in processing and handling of scrap and metals. One of the world's leading steel and metal recycling companies with hundreds of collection and storage locations worldwide.
• Scholz Recycling GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSibling company at the Espenhain location. Close collaboration combining steel scrap recycling with shredder residue processing on 36 hectares.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Scholz Recycling GmbH: Direct sibling company co-located at the 36-hectare Espenhain site, operating the upstream steel scrap recycling and shredding operations whose heavy and light fractions feed SRW's residue processing plants. Closest functional and operational analog.
• TSR Recycling GmbH & Co. KG: One of Europe's largest metal recyclers, operating shredders and downstream processing for ferrous and non-ferrous metals in Germany and beyond. Closest like-for-like peer in shredder-residue and non-ferrous concentrate processing.

Broad incumbents

• Aurubis AG: Leading European non-ferrous metals smelter and refiner that consumes copper-rich feedstocks similar to SRW's copper granulates. Comparable in downstream copper value chain, though operates at much larger scale across primary and secondary feed.
• REMONDIS SE & Co. KG: One of Europe's largest private waste management and recycling companies, with significant metal recovery operations across Germany. Comparable in industrial waste offtake relationships and secondary raw material output, though much broader in service portfolio.
• Umicore SA: Belgian materials technology group with a large recycling business unit recovering precious and non-ferrous metals from automotive catalysts, electronics, and batteries. Comparable in high-value metal recovery from complex waste streams and active in LFP-adjacent battery recycling R&D.
• Trimet Aluminum SE: German aluminum producer with significant secondary aluminum smelting capacity serving the automotive industry. Direct overlap with SRW's automotive-focused aluminum output, though TRIMET operates further downstream in alloy production.
• ALBA Group plc & Co. KG: Major German recycling and environmental services group with broad metals, plastics, and electronics recycling operations. Comparable in customer overlap (industrial waste generators) and feedstock types, though far broader in scope.
• Boliden AB: Swedish metals and mining company with substantial smelter and recycling operations, including electronics and non-ferrous metal recovery from complex feedstocks. Comparable in processing complexity and end-product mix.

Others

• Heraeus Holding GmbH: German precious and specialty metals group with a substantial precious-metals recycling operation (electronics, catalysts). Comparable as an off-taker/downstream processor of SRW's circuit boards and as a peer in fine-grained metal recovery technology development.

Emerging players

• DOWA Holdings Co., Ltd. Japanese non-ferrous metals and recycling company with strong presence in e-waste, precious metal recovery, and automotive catalyst recycling. Comparable in high-purity output from complex metal-bearing waste and in geographic diversification of feedstock.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/srw-metalfloat-gmbh

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 SRW METALFLOAT GMBH