Wecycle
Wecycle is the consumer brand of Stichting OPEN, operating the Dutch national collection and recycling system for electrical appliances, lamps, and batteries through 30,000+ collection points, funded by producer responsibility fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersNetherlands, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Wecycle does
Wecycle is the consumer-facing brand of Stichting OPEN, the designated Dutch Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) for electrical appliances, lamps, and batteries. Founded approximately in 1999 and headquartered in Zoetermeer, Netherlands, the organization coordinates a national collection and recycling infrastructure with 13 staff and more than 30,000 collection points spanning retail, municipal, and specialized channels.
The core product is a regulated reverse-logistics system: Dutch households deposit end-of-life electrical appliances, lamps, and batteries at collection points operated by retail partners (including Jumbo, Albert Heijn, Aldi, Gamma, Hornbach, Karwei, Expert, Electro World, Intratuin, and GroenRijk), municipal waste facilities, second-hand shops, and bicycle shops. Collected material is routed to partner processor Coolrec for material recovery. Wecycle reports cumulative throughput of 255 million kilograms since inception and a 99% useful application rate for collected appliances, indicating near-complete diversion from disposal.
Wecycle operates as a non-profit utility funded entirely by Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR/UPV) fees paid by manufacturers and importers of regulated products, rather than by direct consumer revenue. The collection service is free of charge to Dutch households. Recent strategic emphasis has broadened the regulated product scope into solar panels, vapes, and e-bike batteries, and added a mail-in parcel service (Pakketdienst) as a new collection channel.
Wecycle firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wecycle
- Legal name
- Stichting OPEN
- Website
- https://wecycle.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Wecycle is the consumer brand of Stichting OPEN, operating the Dutch national collection and recycling system for electrical appliances, lamps, and batteries through 30,000+ collection points, funded by producer responsibility fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wecycle industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electronic Waste Recycling Services
- NAICS
- Waste Collection (56211), Materials Recovery Facilities (56292)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Consumer E-waste Collection & Take-Back Programs (EUAIAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Collection, Logistics & Reverse Supply Chain (Transport, Sorting, Tracking) (EUAFACAA), Battery Recycling, Second-Life & End-of-Life Handling Services (TLAKAMAD), Circular Economy & Waste/Materials Reporting (Zero waste, packaging) (EUAHAJAL)
Keywords
Where Wecycle is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Netherlands
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Wecycle business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Producer Responsibility Fees: Wecycle is funded through Stichting OPEN on behalf of producers and importers of electrical equipment in the Netherlands. Under Extended Producer Responsibility (UPV) regulations, producers and importers finance the collection and recycling of end-of-life products. This is not a direct revenue from consumers - the service is free for consumers, funded by the industry that places products on the market.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free recycling service for all consumers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels6 records
Wecycle product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wecycle coordinates the nationwide Dutch collection and recycling of end-of-life electrical appliances, lamps, batteries, and e-bike batteries through 30,000+ drop-off points at retailers and municipal facilities. Consumers receive free recycling services, producers and importers finance the system via Extended Producer Responsibility fees, and partners such as Coolrec perform certified dismantling and material recovery.
Product overview
Wecycle is a Dutch e-waste recycling initiative operated by Stichting OPEN, offering a comprehensive recycling ecosystem comprising a network of over 30,000 collection points across the Netherlands, the oud-voor-nieuw (old-for-new) take-back scheme, a parcel service for postal recycling, business services, and educational programs. The portfolio covers six main product categories: batteries and accumulators, lamps (LED and fluorescent), small appliances (mobile phones, chargers, vapes), medium appliances (vacuum cleaners, coffee machines, power tools), large appliances (washing machines, refrigerators, dishwashers, solar panels), and complementary services including data wiping guidance and a circular economy knowledge platform. The services are designed for both consumer and business segments, with dedicated offerings for schools.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Wecycle Collection Points (Inleverpunten) Free nationwide network of 30,000+ drop-off locations at supermarkets, hardware stores, electronics retailers, garden centers, bicycle shops, second-hand shops, and municipal waste facilities where consumers can deposit electrical appliances, lamps, and batteries for recycling.
- Consumer Recycling Service Free consumer recycling service enabling households to drop off electrical appliances, lamps, and empty batteries at Wecycle collection points for safe and sustainable processing.
- Oud-voor-Nieuw (Old-for-New) Take-back Scheme Take-back service under Dutch UPV regulation that legally obligates retailers to accept old electrical appliances free of charge when customers purchase a new comparable product, in-store or via online delivery.
- Wecycle Pakketdienst (Parcel Service) Free postal return service where consumers can request a shipping label and mail in small electrical devices for recycling.
- Business Recycling Services (Bedrijf) Recycling services tailored for Dutch businesses, including collection point setup, compliance support, and waste management solutions for commercial electrical equipment.
- Educational Programs (Educatie) Educational materials and programs for primary and secondary schools, including lesson plans and the Jekko educational package, to teach children about e-waste recycling and the circular economy.
- Data Wissen (Data Wiping Guidance) Instructions and guidance for consumers to securely wipe personal data from mobile phones, tablets, and computers before recycling them.
- Circulaire Kennis (Circular Knowledge Platform) Knowledge platform by Stichting OPEN providing information, knowledge development, and sharing about e-waste, batteries, and the circular economy.
Quantifiable outcome
- 255 million kilograms of discarded electrical equipment, lamps, and batteries collected
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Wecycle
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Wecycle technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Wecycle partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Stichting OPENcoreWecycle is a brand of Stichting OPEN (Organisatie Producentenverantwoordelijkheid Elektrische apparaten Nederland). Stichting OPEN is the organization mandated by all producers and importers in the Netherlands to handle the collection and recycling of discarded appliances, lamps, batteries, and bicycle batteries. The foundation operates as the national compliance organization for producer responsibility in the e-waste sector.
- JumbocoreDutch supermarket chain offering Wecycle collection bins for small electrical devices, batteries, and lamps at their store entrances. Jumbo is one of the largest supermarket chains in the Netherlands.
- Albert HeijncoreAlbert Heijn (AH), part of Ahold Delhaize, operates Wecycle collection bins at their supermarkets across the Netherlands for small electrical appliances, batteries, and lamps.
- AldicoreGerman-Dutch supermarket chain offering Wecycle collection facilities at their Netherlands stores for small electrical items, batteries, and lamps.
- GammacoreDutch hardware store chain offering Wecycle collection points for small appliances, lamps, and batteries. Larger collection bins accommodate items like power tools.
- HornbachcoreGerman-Dutch DIY and garden center chain with Wecycle collection facilities for small electrical items, lamps, and batteries.
- ExpertcoreDutch electronics retailer chain with Wecycle collection points and participation in the oud-voor-nieuw take-back program for larger appliances. Expert also offers a take-all service taking not just the delivered appliance but other small e-waste.
- Electro WorldcoreDutch electronics retail chain participating in Wecycle collection and the oud-voor-nieuw take-back program. Offers comprehensive take-all service with home delivery.
- IntratuincoreDutch garden center chain with Wecycle collection facilities prominently placed at store entrances for small electrical items, lamps, and batteries.
- GroenRijkcoreDutch garden center chain offering Wecycle collection bins for small electrical devices, batteries, and lamps.
- Dutch Municipal Waste FacilitiescoreMunicipal waste and recycling centers (milieustraten) across the Netherlands serve as Wecycle collection points for all types of electrical equipment, including large appliances that don't fit in retail collection bins.
- Dutch Kringloopwinkels (Second-hand Shops)coreMany second-hand shops (kringloopwinkels) in the Netherlands are affiliated with Wecycle, accepting non-resalable electrical items for recycling. Unsold items from these shops are also recycled through Wecycle.
- Dutch Bicycle RetailerscoreMany bicycle shops in the Netherlands serve as Wecycle collection points for e-bike batteries. Under Extended Producer Responsibility (UPV) regulations, bicycle retailers are obligated to take back old batteries when selling new ones.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Wecycle competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Stena Recycling: Large European recycling group operating across metals, electronics, and hazardous waste streams. Comparable as a broad incumbent recycler overlapping Wecycle's downstream material recovery activities.
- Umicore: Global materials technology and recycling group with a major battery and e-waste materials recovery business. Comparable on the high-value battery recycling stream that Wecycle is expanding into via e-bike batteries.
- Sims Lifecycle Services: Global IT asset disposition and e-waste recycler providing secure data-bearing device processing and WEEE recycling. Comparable as an enterprise-scale e-waste operator adjacent to Wecycle's B2B recycling services.
- Veolia Environmental Services: Global environmental services group with hazardous waste and e-waste treatment operations across Europe. Comparable as a large-scale incumbent capable of bidding for Dutch e-waste processing and compliance contracts.
Direct peers
- European Recycling Platform (ERP): One of the largest pan-European Producer Responsibility Organizations for WEEE, batteries, and packaging. Operates competing compliance schemes across multiple EU member states, directly comparable to Wecycle's Stichting OPEN in role and regulatory function.
- Éco-systèmes: France's leading approved PRO for household WEEE, coordinating collection and recycling on behalf of producers. Operates the same EPR-driven e-waste collection and take-back model as Wecycle, just at French national scale.
- Stiftung Elektro-Altgeräte Register (stiftung ear): Germany's national register and coordination body for WEEE compliance, responsible for registering producers and coordinating e-waste collection across the German market — the structural German equivalent of Wecycle/Stichting OPEN in the Netherlands.
Emerging players
- Coolrec: Dutch specialized e-waste recycling company that processes equipment collected through Wecycle's network (dismantling, material separation, recovery). Comparable as a downstream processor operating in the same value chain and is a named Wecycle partner.
Regional players
- Renewi: Dutch-Belgian listed waste management company operating municipal and commercial waste collection, including electronic waste streams through Milieu Service Nederland. Comparable as a domestic competitor in Dutch waste logistics and recycling.
- RecyclePoint / Wecycle equivalent UK schemes: UK consumer-facing e-waste recycling awareness and collection infrastructure coordinated under the WEEE regulations. Comparable as a cross-border peer running a national consumer recycling brand analogous to Wecycle.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Wecycle social profiles
Digital presenceWecycle financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wecycle leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Wecycle funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wecycle M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wecycle
What does Wecycle do?
Wecycle coordinates the nationwide Dutch collection and recycling of end-of-life electrical appliances, lamps, batteries, and e-bike batteries through 30,000+ drop-off points at retailers and municipal facilities. Consumers receive free recycling services, producers and importers finance the system via Extended Producer Responsibility fees, and partners such as Coolrec perform certified dismantling and material recovery.
Is Wecycle a public or private company?
Wecycle is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Wecycle founded?
Wecycle was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Wecycle based?
Wecycle is headquartered in Netherlands, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Wecycle make money?
One revenue line is on record: producer Responsibility Fees.
Who are Wecycle's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Stena Recycling, Umicore, Sims Lifecycle Services and Veolia Environmental Services. Direct peers are European Recycling Platform (ERP), Éco-systèmes and Stiftung Elektro-Altgeräte Register (stiftung ear). Coolrec is listed as an emerging player. Regional players are Renewi and RecyclePoint / Wecycle equivalent UK schemes.
Does Wecycle have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wecycle.
What industry is Wecycle in?
Wecycle's product category is Electronic Waste Recycling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIAIAA, Consumer E-waste Collection & Take-Back Programs, with a secondary code of EUAFACAA, Collection, Logistics & Reverse Supply Chain (Transport, Sorting, Tracking). Its NAICS code is 56211 and its SIC code is 4953.