ALBA SE

What ALBA SE does

ALBA SE is a Berlin-headquartered, publicly listed environmental services group that has operated since 1968 across the waste management, recycling, and secondary raw materials value chain. The group collects household, commercial, industrial, municipal, and specialized waste streams across approximately 120 locations in Germany (with selected operations in Hong Kong and broader Europe), employing roughly 5,900 people across four core regional subsidiaries — ALBA Berlin, ALBA Braunschweig, ALBA Süd, and ALBA Niedersachsen-Anhalt — plus a separate circular-economy platform (Interzero) that was spun off in 2022. Reported revenue stood at €1.35 billion in FY2023 and €1.32 billion in FY2025, placing ALBA among the top four waste disposal companies in Germany.

The company's core offering combines physical collection infrastructure (owned fleets, container logistics, recycling centers) with downstream processing: metal and steel scrap recovery, paper/plastic/glass sorting, and biomethanation of organic waste into biogas, electricity, and heat at facilities such as the BioEnergieZentrum Watenbüttel (under construction, ~30,000 tons/year capacity, completion H2 2028). Customer-facing digital layers include the ALBAclick online shop (shop.albaclick.de), a password-protected customer portal, and the 'Abfuhrtermine ALBA' smartphone app for collection-day notifications. A 20-year RAL-Gütezeichen certification on Braunschweig compost and R&D around steel/metal scrap preparation round out the technical base.

ALBA makes money through a mix of service-fee contracts (municipal tenders, B2B waste collection, container rentals), transaction-fee sales of secondary raw materials on commodity markets (metals, paper, plastics), and emerging energy revenue from biogas and heat. Go-to-market is bifurcated: B2C households order via the self-serve ALBAclick platform, while municipalities and industrial clients are served through direct sales and long-term contracts (the Braunschweig municipal contract has run continuously since 2001). The corporate structure features ALBA SE as the listed entity with ALBA Verwaltungs PLC (Dublin) as personally liable partner; in 2023, Dr. Robert Arbter succeeded Dr. Eric Schweitzer as CEO.

Name

ALBA SE

Legal name

ALBA plc & Co. KG

Website

https://alba.info

Company type

Public

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

ALBA SE is a publicly listed German environmental services group that collects, recycles, and trades waste and secondary raw materials across ~120 sites in Germany and selected European and Asian markets, serving households, municipalities, and industrial clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management and Recycling Services

akta.pro primary industry

Scrap Collection, Brokerage & Trading (Dealers, Aggregators, Exporters) (EUAIAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial Scrap Management & On-site Services (Plant Scrap, Roll-off, Managed Programs) (EUAIAJAI)

Keywords

• Waste management services
• Recycling operations
• Raw materials trading
• Environmental services
• Biogas energy generation

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Waste Management and Disposal Services: Collection and disposal of various waste streams (household, commercial, municipal, specialized) including mixed waste, recyclables, bulky waste, construction debris, electronic waste. Revenue generated through service fees, container rental, and disposal charges.
2. Recycling Operations: Processing and recycling of materials including metals, paper, plastics, glass, and organic matter into secondary raw materials for sale.
3. Raw Materials Trading: Sale of recovered raw materials including steel, metals, and other recyclable materials on commodity markets.
4. Steel and Metal Recycling: Innovative processing and recycling of steel and metal scrap, closing material loops through sophisticated preparation.
5. Consulting Services: Expert consulting on waste management, recycling strategies, and environmental compliance.
6. Personnel Placement: Staffing services for waste management and recycling operations.
7. Logistics Services: Transportation and logistics services for waste and materials, including fleet operations.
8. Biogas and Energy Generation: Renewable energy production from organic waste through biomethanation, producing biogas, electricity, and thermal energy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

ALBA SE is a recycling and environmental services provider that collects, transports, sorts, and processes waste streams (household, commercial, industrial, municipal, and specialized) and trades the recovered secondary raw materials. It operates 120 locations across Germany with its own logistics fleet, runs digital ordering portals (ALBAclick, customer portal, mobile app), and produces renewable energy through biomethanation at the BioEnergieZentrum Watenbüttel. Revenue comes mainly from waste management service fees and the sale of recovered raw materials such as steel, metals, paper, plastics, glass, and organic matter.

Product overview

ALBA SE is a leading European recycling and environmental services provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of waste management solutions. The core offerings include waste disposal services (Entsorgung), recycling operations, raw materials trading (Rohstoffhandel), steel and metal recycling, consulting, personnel services, and logistics. Digital products include ALBAclick for online container ordering, the customer portal for account management, and the mobile waste calendar app. The company operates the BioEnergieZentrum Watenbüttel facility for biogas production and maintains regional subsidiaries such as ALBA Berlin GmbH and ALBA Braunschweig GmbH. Founded in 1968, ALBA serves household, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers across Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Entsorgung (Waste Disposal & Collection)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.4 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions saved annually through recycling activities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Simon GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2024ALBA and Simon Group established a joint venture in the Black Forest region (Schwarzwald) in February 2024, combining their expertise in waste management and recycling operations in that geographic area.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Waste Management, Inc. Waste Management Inc. is the largest waste services company in North America, offering collection, recycling, and disposal at massive scale. Comparable in service portfolio and integrated value chain to ALBA, though operating in a different geography.
• SUEZ Group: SUEZ is a major global environmental services company with operations in waste collection, recycling, and water across Europe. Comparable to ALBA in the recyclables and municipal services segments, though operating at a much larger global scale.
• Veolia Environnement: Veolia is a global leader in environmental services, including waste management, recycling, and water, with a significant German operating footprint. Overlaps with ALBA across municipal and industrial waste services and secondary materials trading.

Regional players

• Stadtreinigung Hamburg (SRH): SRH is the municipal waste management and street cleaning company of the City of Hamburg, with a similar public-sector operating model and service portfolio to ALBA's municipal contracts. Comparable in B2B/B2C collection and recycling scope.
• Renewi: Renewi is a UK and Benelux-based waste-to-product company focused on recycling and secondary raw materials recovery. Directly comparable in the recyclables trading and processing segment of ALBA's business.
• Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR): BSR is the municipal waste management company of the City of Berlin, directly overlapping with ALBA's Berlin operations in household and commercial waste collection. Both serve the same metropolitan market with comparable municipal service offerings.
• FCC Environment: FCC Environment is a European waste management services provider (part of FCC Group, Spain), operating across the UK and Continental Europe. Comparable in municipal collection, recyclables processing, and secondary raw materials recovery.

Direct peers

• REMONDIS: REMONDIS is the largest privately held waste management and recycling company in Germany, offering collection, sorting, and raw materials trading comparable to ALBA's core services. Direct overlap in municipal contracts and industrial scrap programs across Germany.
• PreZero: PreZero is the recycling and environmental services arm of the Schwarz Group (parent of Lidl/Kaufland), operating in Germany and Europe. Direct competitor in waste collection, sorting, and recyclables trading with a strong private-label relationship advantage.
• KIRCHNER Gruppe: Kirchner Gruppe is a German regional waste management and recycling company operating across multiple German states. Comparable in scale and service mix to ALBA's regional subsidiaries, with overlapping industrial and commercial customer bases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ALBAEurope
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AlbaGroupCorporate
• Facebookfacebook.com/ALBAEurope
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/albagroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/ALBAEurope

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries5 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 ALBA SE