What Phoenix Recycling Group does

Phoenix Recycling Group (legal entity Phoenix Metal Recyclers NZ Limited) is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest privately held metal recycler, operating 20+ branch locations from Kamo to Invercargill, a fleet of 70+ trucks and 50+ Dangerous Goods-trained drivers, and processing more than 120,000 metric tonnes of material in FY24. Incorporated on 18 April 2013 by Eldon Reeve and Hilary West-Reeve, the company is co-owned 50/50 by the founders and private investment firm Forthco (since 2021), with a headquarters and 10,000 sqm flagship facility in Onehunga, Auckland.

The business is horizontally and vertically integrated across the recycling value chain. Service lines include metal recycling (130+ metallic product specifications), battery recycling (20+ battery subtypes), e-waste and whiteware recycling, metallic packaging recycling, and New Zealand's first authorized nationwide end-of-life solar panel recycling service. Underpinning capabilities include purpose-built battery collection units with tamper resistance, fire suppression, heat sensors and 24/7 cellular monitoring, ERoad/GPS fleet management, Basel Convention-compliant export documentation, Toitu Carbon Reduce certification, and Sustainable Steel Council Gold certification. The company also runs specialised deconstruction and metal recovery services for industrial, energy, dairy and logistics clients and exports 250+ containers per month through 8 NZ ports to 15+ countries including Bahrain, Belgium, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Pakistan, Thailand, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Taiwan, India and South Korea.

Revenue is generated through transactional fees (charges or payments depending on material type and market conditions) for metal and battery recycling, processing fees for e-waste, quote-based commercial collection and bin services, project-based professional services for deconstruction and energy-sector decommissioning, and export/brokerage income from international sale of recycled commodities. Customer segments are 'horizontal' across three primary personas — Tradies and Trade Professionals, Everyday Kiwis/Households, and Business & Enterprise (manufacturing, construction, energy, dairy, logistics) — supplemented by Industrial/Energy and Government/Council segments. Distribution combines self drop-off at branches, on-site commercial collections and bin deployments, partnership collection points (Makita, Christchurch City Council EcoDrops), and direct export to international buyers.

Name

Phoenix Recycling Group

Legal name

Phoenix Metal Recyclers NZ Limited

Website

https://phoenixrecycling.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Phoenix Recycling Group is New Zealand's largest privately held metal recycler, operating 20+ branches nationwide to collect, process and export scrap metal, batteries, e-waste, solar panels and metallic packaging for trade, household and enterprise customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Metal Recycling Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Hazardous Waste Collection (562112), Solid Waste Collection (562111)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Universal Waste Management (Batteries, Lamps, Mercury-Containing) (BPALAHAL), PV Module & Panel Recycling (Glass, Silicon, Metals Recovery) (EUAMALAA)

Keywords

• Metal recycling services
• Battery recycling services
• E-waste recycling
• Solar panel recycling
• Deconstruction services

Headquarters

HQ city

North Shore

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices20 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Metal Recycling Services: Core revenue stream from collecting, processing, and recycling various scrap metals including steel, copper, aluminium, brass, and stainless steel. The company pays customers for some scrap metal and charges for others depending on material type and market conditions.
2. Battery Recycling: Phoenix pays for lead acid batteries and nickel metal hydride hybrid batteries but charges fees for recycling other battery types based on chemistry and weight. Lithium batteries are accepted at select locations for a fee, with some free options for household batteries in certain areas.
3. Collection Services: Commercial collection services for scrap metal, batteries, and other recyclable materials with specialized transport fleet. Pricing varies by collection type, amount of material, and location.
4. E-Waste and Whiteware Recycling: Processing fees for recycling electronic waste including computers, phones, appliances, and whiteware, recovering valuable materials while safely disposing of hazardous components.
5. Export and Brokerage: Export of recycled metals to over 15 countries including Bahrain, Belgium, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Pakistan, Thailand, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Taiwan, India and South Korea. Average over 250 containers exported per month.
6. Deconstruction and Metal Recovery: Specialized deconstruction services for industrial sites, plant infrastructure, energy sector decommissioning, and infrastructure extraction. Project-based revenue for sustainable deconstruction turning end-of-life assets into new opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Phoenix Recycling Group collects, processes, and recycles scrap metals (steel, copper, aluminium, brass, stainless steel), batteries (household, automotive, industrial including lithium), metallic packaging, e-waste/whiteware, and end-of-life solar panels across New Zealand. The company supports these recycling operations with mobile collection services, bin services, project-based deconstruction and metal recovery, and international export and brokerage of recycled materials to 15+ countries.

Product overview

Phoenix Recycling Group operates as a comprehensive nationwide recycling services provider, offering an integrated portfolio of metal recycling, battery recycling, e-waste recycling, metallic packaging recycling, and solar panel recycling services. The company has evolved from Phoenix Metalman (rebranded April 2024) to become Aotearoa New Zealand's largest privately held metal recycler. The service portfolio centers on core recycling operations (metal, battery, e-waste, packaging, solar panel) supported by collection infrastructure (mobile collections, bin services), specialized deconstruction and metal recovery services, and international export and brokerage operations. The company is 100% New Zealand owned and incorporated in 2013, with 20 locations nationwide from Kamo to Invercargill.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Metal Recycling Core recycling service handling ferrous and non-ferrous metals including steel, copper, aluminium, brass, and stainless steel. Phoenix collects, packages, transports and exports over 130 types of metallic product specifications, processing 90,000+ MT of metals annually.
• Battery Recycling Comprehensive battery recycling service handling household, automotive, and industrial batteries including alkaline, lithium-ion, lithium metal, nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, and lithium phosphate batteries, with purpose-built collection units, fire suppression, heat sensors, and 24/7 monitoring.
• E-Waste & Whiteware Recycling Electronics and appliance recycling service that processes computers, mobile phones, whiteware and other electronic devices, extracting valuable materials while safely disposing of hazardous components.
• Metallic Packaging Recycling Specialized recycling of metal packaging materials including aluminium cans, steel containers, tin packaging, foil and aerosols that typically cannot be processed through standard curbside collection, supporting the Cans for Kai partnership with LegaSea.
• Solar Panel Recycling New Zealand's first and only authorised nationwide end-of-life solar panel recycling service, recovering valuable materials including aluminium, magnesium, silicon, iron, lead, cadmium, argentum, glass, fibreglass, and polyurethane from decommissioned panels.
• Collection Services Mobile collection service with a nationwide transportation fleet of over 70 trucks and 50 Dangerous Goods certified drivers, providing commercial on-site pickup of scrap metal, batteries, and other recyclable materials with specialized handling for hazardous materials including asbestos.
• Bin Services Scrap metal bin provision and collection service with thousands of bins deployed at sites around New Zealand, delivered to customer locations and collected when ready, supporting recurring commercial recycling needs.
• Energy Sector Services Specialized recycling services for redundant energy assets and infrastructure in New Zealand, including project management, decommissioning, deconstruction, and recycling of energy sector assets with end-to-end supply chain solutions; delivered for clients including Genesis Energy (258-tonne transformer).
• Deconstruction and Metal Recovery Sustainable deconstruction service specializing in extracting valuable metals from industrial sites, including plant infrastructure dismantling, energy-sector decommissioning, industrial machinery removal, and infrastructure extraction, with documented 92-95% material recovery on major projects.
• Export & Brokerage International trading service exporting recycled metals to over 15 countries including Bahrain, Belgium, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Pakistan, Thailand, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Taiwan, India, and South Korea, averaging 250+ containers per month through 8 New Zealand ports, supplying 100% recycled raw material for sustainable manufacturing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 626% revenue growth over 5 years, ranked #1 on Deloitte Master of Growth Index 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• EcotricitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025All Phoenix Recycling sites across Aotearoa are powered by 100% renewable electricity from Ecotricity, New Zealand's only Toitū climate-positive certified electricity provider. Partnership supports Phoenix's sustainability goals with traceable, auditable renewable energy and monthly emissions data for carbon reporting.
• Sumitomo CorporationstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Phoenix signed an MOU with Japan's Sumitomo Corporation to undertake a pre-feasibility study into potential development of battery 'black mass' production facilities in New Zealand. Study aims to strengthen local EV battery recycling capability and support circular economy across Oceania.
• MakitacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024Phoenix supports Makita's REGENERATION battery recycling programme launched February 2024. Phoenix provides purpose-built battery collection bins with heat sensors and fire suppression, 24/7 monitoring, and certified transport. Since launch, over 1,205kg of lithium batteries collected and 98% of components recycled. Partnership makes battery drop-off easy and safe across Makita stores nationwide.
• TyrewisecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Phoenix participates in Tyrewise, New Zealand's first regulated product stewardship scheme for tyres launched 2024. All Phoenix yards are signed up with tyres collected logged through Tyrewise's national tracking platform. Partnership closes the loop on tyre waste with tyres directed to rubber crumb, civil construction, or tyre-derived fuel.
• LegaSeacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Phoenix partners with LegaSea through the Cans for Kai initiative, paying LegaSea for every kilo of aluminium cans collected. Funds support The Kai Ika Project which distributes fish heads and frames to communities in need. Phoenix provides collection infrastructure and revenue stream for LegaSea's food security and coastal fisheries protection mission.
• Christchurch City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristchurch City Council introduced Phoenix-provided fire-resistant battery recycling units at selected EcoDrop sites. Units include heat sensors, fire suppression systems, and 24/7 monitoring to reduce battery-related fire risks.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Enviro NZ: New Zealand's largest diversified waste and recycling services provider. Most direct domestic competitor and analogue to Phoenix in NZ, with comparable nationwide collection infrastructure, though Enviro NZ's portfolio is broader (landfill, liquid waste) than Phoenix's recycling-led focus.

Direct peers

• EMR Group: UK-based global metals recycler with operations across Europe, North America, and Asia. Comparable on integrated collection, processing, and merchanting of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap with downstream export—closely matches Phoenix's collection-to-export vertically integrated model.
• Schnitzer Steel Industries: US West Coast-headquartered scrap metal recycler and processor with ferrous/non-ferrous operations. Comparable end-to-end model (collection, processing, export) and serves both retail trade customers and industrial accounts—directly analogous to Phoenix's metals business.
• Sims Limited: Australian-headquartered, globally operating metal and electronics recycler. Closest peer given its ferrous/non-ferrous scrap collection, processing, and export model serving both trade and enterprise customers—directly comparable to Phoenix's metals franchise and export brokerage.

Emerging players

• Li-Cycle: Lithium-ion battery recycling specialist with hub-and-spoke network targeting EV battery black mass. Directly comparable to Phoenix's planned battery black mass facility with Sumitomo and Phoenix's existing end-to-end battery recycling solution covering 20+ subtypes.
• Redwood Materials: US-based battery recycling and materials company founded by former Tesla CTO, focused on lithium-ion battery circularity. Comparable to Phoenix's forward-looking EV battery recycling ambitions (Sumitomo MOU) and existing nationwide lithium battery collection infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Cleanaway Waste Management: Australia's largest waste management and recycling company. While broader than Phoenix (covering solid waste, liquids, hazardous), its integrated collection, processing, and resource recovery model across commercial/industrial customers is structurally similar to Phoenix's NZ nationwide network.
• Veolia: Global environmental services company with significant hazardous waste, metal recovery, and e-waste capabilities. Compares to Phoenix on energy-sector decommissioning projects and hazardous materials handling (battery, e-waste), though operates at much larger scale across many verticals.
• Renewi: European recycling and waste management company with strong ferrous/non-ferrous metals division. Comparable on industrial deconstruction, scrap processing, and secondary raw material production, though geographically focused on Europe.

Others

• TOMRA: Norwegian technology provider of sensor-based sorting and recycling equipment used in MRFs and metal recovery facilities globally. Relevant as a technology/equipment supplier and ecosystem player rather than a direct competitor—Phoenix's processing capability relies on similar separation technologies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries11 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 Phoenix Recycling Group