Tobacycle N.e.v
TobaCircle GmbH is a Ludwigsburg, Germany-based operator of an end-to-end collection and recycling system for cigarette butt waste, serving German municipalities, companies, events, and clean-up organizations with weatherproof outdoor ashtrays, collection containers, nationwide logistics, and certified disposal documentation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersLudwigsburg, Germany
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Tobacycle N.e.v does
TobaCircle GmbH is a Ludwigsburg, Germany-based private limited company (GmbH) operating alongside an associated non-profit, TobaCycle n.e.V., that has built what it describes as Germany's first organized end-to-end collection and recycling system specifically for cigarette butt waste. The technical system comprises weatherproof outdoor ashtrays (CITYC, VOTYC, CLEANYC) in stainless steel, airtight 6L and 60L collection containers (TOBYC, M-BYC, P-BYC), personal pocket ashtrays (TABYC, PETYC), and a nationwide logistics network in Germany for container exchange and thermal recycling through certified Entsorgungsfachbetriebe. The CLEANYC product adds IoT-style smart features (presence detection, fill-level monitoring, optional Web-APP remote monitoring) and holds a registered patent.
The company monetizes through a mix of one-time hardware sales (individual items from €1.48 to €2,199 and tiered Pilot/Company packages from €59.95 to €12,599), recurring annual service subscriptions (€100-€300/year depending on organization type), custom event packages for festivals, and educational presentations. Go-to-market is a multi-segment B2B/B2G field sales motion targeting German cities and municipalities, corporates, events and festivals, clean-up organizations, and educational institutions, supported by an e-commerce storefront at tobacircle.de and an outreach layer of lectures and on-site booth presence.
A key commercial driver is regulatory: the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive (EU) 2019/904 and the German Einwegkunststofffondsgesetz (EWKFondsG) effective 01.01.2024 create compliance demand that TobaCircle's certified documentation (Nachweisführung under §26 KrWG) and certificates are positioned to serve. The company is privately held with a single named managing director (Pier Mario Merella), no disclosed institutional investors, no disclosed funding rounds, and operates exclusively in Germany with a modest installed base of municipal and corporate references.
Tobacycle N.e.v firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tobacycle N.e.v
- Legal name
- TobaCircle GmbH
- Website
- https://tobacircle.de
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- TobaCircle GmbH is a Ludwigsburg, Germany-based operator of an end-to-end collection and recycling system for cigarette butt waste, serving German municipalities, companies, events, and clean-up organizations with weatherproof outdoor ashtrays, collection containers, nationwide logistics, and certified disposal documentation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tobacycle N.e.v industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Cigarette Butt Waste Management Equipment
- NAICS
- Waste Collection (5621), Waste Collection (56211), Waste Treatment and Disposal (5622)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Compactor, Container & Roll-off Services (Rental, Service & Logistics) (EUAIAGAC)
Keywords
Where Tobacycle N.e.v is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ludwigsburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Tobacycle N.e.v business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Product Sales - Hardware: Sale of outdoor ashtrays, pocket ashtrays, collection containers, and accessories. One-time purchase model with varying price points from individual items to comprehensive pilot packages.
- Annual Service Fees: Annual fees for collection, recycling, and logistics services based on organization type (cities/municipalities: €300/year, companies <50 employees: €150/year, clean-ups/associations: €100/year). Includes container exchange and proper disposal.
- Event Packages: Custom event packages with consultation, on-site support, and temporary collection infrastructure for festivals and events.
- Presentations and Lectures: Educational presentations and lectures on cigarette butt waste problem for schools, universities, companies, and public institutions.
- Pilot Packages: Comprehensive starter packages (Pilot S: €3,149, M: €6,099, L: €12,599) including multiple outdoor ashtrays, collection containers, pocket ashtrays, and first-year service.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual pocket ashtrays |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Outdoor ashtrays |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Collection containers |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Pilot packages for organizations |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | SMOCYT sample package |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Company starter packages |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual service fees |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Tobacycle N.e.v product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TobaCycle/TobaCircle operates an end-to-end waste management system for cigarette butts, encompassing weatherproof outdoor stainless-steel ashtrays, airtight collection containers, and pocket ashtrays, paired with a nationwide Germany logistics and container-exchange network, certified thermal recycling, and compliance documentation. The company sells hardware products directly and offers annual recycling/logistics service subscriptions to municipalities, companies, events, clean-up organizations, educational institutions, and individual smokers.
Product overview
TobaCycle n.e.V. (TobaCircle GmbH) operates a comprehensive waste management and collection system for cigarette butts — described as a 'Waste-Management-System für Rauchreste' (waste management system for smoking residues). The product portfolio consists of two main product categories: (1) Physical collection products — including pocket ashtrays (TABYC Alu, TABYC grau recycelt, PETYC Kippenröhrchen), outdoor ashtrays (CITYC, CITYC S, VOTYC, CLEANYC — available in V2A/V4A stainless steel variants), collection containers (TOBYC 6l, M-BYC 60l, P-BYC 60l), mounting hardware and accessories; and (2) Value-added packages — including SMOCYT (private starter kit), FILMYC (film industry package), COMPANYC-C and COMPANYC-V (company starter packages), Pilot Paket S/M/L (comprehensive multi-unit packages for municipalities and businesses), and annual recycling and logistics flat-rate service packages. The system covers the full chain from dry separate collection of smoking residues at source, through weatherproof outdoor ashtrays and airtight collection containers, to nationwide logistics, monitoring, waste documentation, professional thermal recycling, and environmental awareness/sensitization services. The CleanyC product includes online monitoring capabilities (fill-level, filter status) via Web-APP and CMS, but no AI/ML capabilities are offered.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TOBYC 6L Collection Container Plastic 6L collection container made of recyclable PP with an airtight pressure lid; used to empty CITYC and VOTYC outdoor ashtrays on-site and store smoking residues before logistics exchange.
- M-BYC 60L Metal Collection Container Metal 60L collection container with UN-X approval, internally clear lacquered and externally blue lacquered, with airtight tension ring lid; convertible to an outdoor ashtray via the M-BYC Ashtray lid attachment.
- P-BYC 60L Plastic Collection Container Plastic 60L collection container with airtight tension ring lid for separate on-site collection of cigarette residues; includes recycling and valorization of collected residues for TobaCycle n.e.V. members.
- CITYC Outdoor Ashtray Weatherproof stainless-steel outdoor ashtray for wall/mast mounting or free-standing installation with stele and base plate; available in V2A and V4A (marine-grade with molybdenum alloy for coastal areas).
- VOTYC Voting Outdoor Ashtray Weatherproof stainless-steel voting/suggestion outdoor ashtray available in V2A and V4A variants with optional RAL powder coating.
- CITYC S Free-Standing Outdoor Ashtray Free-standing weatherproof outdoor ashtray in stainless steel with overhanging roof, side emptying container, and floor-mounted theft protection plate.
- CLEANYC Multimedia Suction Ashtray All-in-one multimedia suction ashtray with integrated air intake, digital display, presence-detector occupancy control, LED ambient and pictogram lighting, MP3 playback, fill-level monitoring, and optional WLAN online monitoring via Web-APP.
- M-BYC Ashtray Lid Attachment Saddle-roof outdoor ashtray attachment that converts an M-BYC 60L collection container into a ready-to-use outdoor ashtray by replacing the transport lid; includes sieve/knock-out grid in V2A or V4A stainless steel.
- TABYC Alu Pocket Ashtray Made-in-Germany pocket ashtray made from recycled aluminum/tinplate with screw-top twist closure for airtight sealing and an integrated fragrance pad; available personalised.
- TABYC grau recycelt Pocket Ashtray Pocket ashtray made from recycled plastic sourced from marine, beach, and land clean-ups and plastic-sorting facilities, with screw-top twist closure for airtight sealing.
- PETYC Kippenröhrchen Pocket Ashtray Tube Pocket ashtray tube made from PET blank overproduction sustainably redirected into the recycling loop, with screw-top twist closure for airtight sealing.
- SMOCYT Personal Starter Kit Personal starter kit priced at €19.95 incl. VAT plus shipping, containing 2x TOBYC 6L containers, TABYC grey recycled and TABYC Alu pocket ashtrays, PETYC tubes, CARBYC, and 50 TobaCycle flyers for private smokers.
- FILMYC Film Industry Package Sustainability package for the film industry priced at €59.95, including 1x TOBYC 6L container, 25x PETYC tubes or 25x TABYC Alu pocket ashtrays branded with TobaCircle logo and QR code, plus recycling of collected residues.
- COMPANYC-C Company Starter Package Company starter package priced at €899.90, including 1x CITYC outdoor ashtray, emptying pin, TOBYC 6L and M-BYC containers with year-1 logistics, and 100x TABYC Alu pocket ashtrays.
Quantifiable outcome
- 700 million EUR annual cost burden for German municipalities for cleaning single-use plastics and cigarette butts
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Tobacycle N.e.v
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Tobacycle N.e.v technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Tobacycle N.e.v partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Clean-up Organizations (Various)corePartnership with clean-up organizations to collect cigarette butts as separate waste stream. Organizations become collection points and receive discounted membership rates. This partnership is central to the company's community-led growth strategy and environmental mission.
- Disposal Facilities (Entsorgungsfachbetriebe)corePartnership with certified disposal companies (Entsorgungsfachbetriebe) to ensure proper thermal recycling of collected cigarette butts in regional waste-to-energy plants that also generate district heating.
- Transportation CompaniescorePartnership with logistics companies for nationwide container collection and exchange services in Germany, coordinating pick-up and delivery of full and empty collection containers.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Tobacycle N.e.v competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Remondis: Remondis is one of Germany's largest private waste management companies, providing collection, recycling, and disposal services across municipalities and industrial customers. It is comparable to TobaCircle as a Germany-based operator of municipal and commercial waste collection, though at vastly greater scale and across all waste streams rather than specializing in cigarette butts.
- SUEZ Recycling and Recovery: SUEZ operates waste collection, treatment, and recovery services across Europe with significant municipal contract presence. It is comparable as an established incumbent that could bid against TobaCircle for German municipal cigarette-butt collection mandates under EWKFondsG.
- TerraCycle: TerraCycle operates hard-to-recycle waste collection programs globally, including a dedicated cigarette butt recycling brigade that collects, ships, and recycles cigarette waste. It is comparable to TobaCircle as a specialized waste-stream operator targeting problem waste categories with a take-back/membership-style model, though its scope is broader and its cigarette program is shipping-based rather than containerized.
- PreZero: PreZero is the Schwarz Group's environmental services division operating collection, sorting, and recycling infrastructure across Europe. It is comparable as a competitor for German municipal and commercial collection contracts and as a potential partner/scale operator that could replicate TobaCircle's cigarette-butt value proposition within its existing logistics network.
- Veolia Environnement: Veolia is a global waste management and environmental services incumbent with municipal collection contracts across Europe. It is comparable as a potential large-scale competitor that could extend its service portfolio into specialized single-use plastics collection streams like the one TobaCircle serves.
- Waste Management Inc. Waste Management is the largest waste services provider in North America, operating containerized commercial/industrial collection at scale. It is comparable as a reference point for what a scaled roll-off/containerized collection business looks like, though it serves a different geography and waste portfolio.
Emerging players
- Plastic Bank: Plastic Bank operates collection infrastructure for problematic plastic waste in coastal regions, monetizing recovered material through brand partnerships. It is comparable as an emerging specialist in dedicated single-stream plastic waste collection with a documented environmental impact model.
- CleanHub: CleanHub is a German-rooted plastic-waste prevention and collection startup working with consumer brands and municipalities to fund coastal and community waste recovery. It is comparable as a mission-driven German-adjacent emerging player addressing single-use plastic waste streams with a brand-partnership model.
Market position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Tobacycle N.e.v social profiles
Digital presenceTobacycle N.e.v financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tobacycle N.e.v leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Tobacycle N.e.v funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tobacycle N.e.v 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 Tobacycle N.e.v
What does Tobacycle N.e.v do?
TobaCycle/TobaCircle operates an end-to-end waste management system for cigarette butts, encompassing weatherproof outdoor stainless-steel ashtrays, airtight collection containers, and pocket ashtrays, paired with a nationwide Germany logistics and container-exchange network, certified thermal recycling, and compliance documentation. The company sells hardware products directly and offers annual recycling/logistics service subscriptions to municipalities, companies, events, clean-up organizations, educational institutions, and individual smokers.
Is Tobacycle N.e.v a public or private company?
Tobacycle N.e.v is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Tobacycle N.e.v founded?
Tobacycle N.e.v was founded in -1.
Where is Tobacycle N.e.v based?
Tobacycle N.e.v is headquartered in Ludwigsburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Tobacycle N.e.v make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Product Sales - Hardware is the primary driver. The others are annual Service Fees, event Packages, presentations and Lectures and pilot Packages.
Who are Tobacycle N.e.v's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Remondis, SUEZ Recycling and Recovery, TerraCycle, PreZero, Veolia Environnement and Waste Management Inc.. Emerging players are Plastic Bank and CleanHub.
Does Tobacycle N.e.v have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tobacycle N.e.v.
What industry is Tobacycle N.e.v in?
Tobacycle N.e.v's product category is Specialty Cigarette Butt Waste Management Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIAGAC, Compactor, Container & Roll-off Services (Rental, Service & Logistics). Its NAICS code is 5621 and its SIC code is 4953.